People in Pakistan panicked after several media outlets reported that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail had said that the government would raise the price of petroleum products further, and old posts on social media also circulated that a summary had been sent for raising the rates.
The finance minister issued a statement – which was misquoted – during the day, and shortly thereafter, people began to line up at petrol stations across the country.
Meanwhile, a social media post claimed that a summary had been sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a Rs25 increase in petrol prices, which will take effect at 12 a.m.
Clarification from the Finance Minister
However, the finance minister later clarified that the government does not intend to raise the price of petroleum products, and that no summary of the rate hike had been sent by relevant authorities.
In a tweet, the finance minister stated, “There will be no price increase today, and there is no summary or plan to raise prices.”
