Big relief for Pakistani citizens from the government
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In a reassuring development for the public grappling with rising inflation, the interim government has chosen to temporarily postpone the planned gas tariff increase, originally set to take effect on November 1.
This decision emerged from a cabinet meeting chaired by interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, during which the executive body instructed the relevant authorities to reevaluate the proposed gas price hike.
Last week, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) granted approval for a substantial gas tariff hike of up to 193% in response to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) request to address the growing circular debt in the energy sector.
Had the cabinet approved it, non-protected domestic consumers would have seen a gas tariff increase of up to 173%, while the increase would have been 136.4% for commercial consumers, 86.4% for export, and 117% for the non-export industry.
Following the ECC's decision, the fixed monthly charges for protected consumers were raised from Rs10 to Rs400, and for non-protected consumers, it was increased from Rs460 to Rs1,000, with higher slabs seeing charges up to Rs2,000.
In addition to this development, the cabinet also greenlit the "Hajj Policy 2024" and the establishment of an "anti-human smuggling station" by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The cabinet also made significant decisions related to the caretaker government's plan to deport illegal foreigners residing in the country after the November 1 deadline.
The police, in collaboration with relevant authorities, have been tasked with apprehending illegal foreigners within the country. Furthermore, convicted aliens, those engaged in minor offenses, and those under trial will be subject to deportation, while illegal foreigners involved in serious crimes will not be expelled.
