At this critical juncture, the government must remember that leadership is not judged by how well it protects the powerful, but by how compassionately it supports the powerless. The elite may have influence, but it is the people — the millions who labor quietly every day to keep this country running
Opinion
Ansar Mahmood Bhatti
In a country already reeling from the devastating effects of inflation, unemployment, and persistent economic stagnation, the recent abnormal increase in fuel prices has delivered yet another punishing blow — particularly to Pakistan’s poor and middle-income groups. For the second time within a single month, petrol and diesel prices have witnessed a sharp upward revision. This is not just a marginal adjustment; it is a significant surge that threatens the very survival of millions of struggling citizens.
With each fuel price hike, the ripple effect spreads far and wide — across food prices, transport fares, utility costs, and even school tuition. For households that are already barely managing to survive, the latest surge comes as an unbearable addition to their growing financial burdens. Petrol and diesel are not just commodities; they are lifelines for economic activity, especially in a country where public transport is inadequate, and where the informal economy — driven by motorcycles, rickshaws, and small vehicles — forms the backbone of livelihood for countless people.
The working class — including daily wage earners, delivery riders, rickshaw drivers, and small vendors — is among the hardest hit. These individuals do not use fuel for luxury. They rely on it for mobility, for earning a living, and for accessing essential services such as healthcare and education. With every rupee increase in the price of fuel, their costs of living rise disproportionately, forcing many to make heart-wrenching choices between food, medicine, and fuel. Some are now walking long distances to save money, while others are cutting down on meals or pulling children out of school just to make ends meet.
In sharp contrast, the elite class — politicians, top bureaucrats, and other high-ranking officials — remain disturbingly insulated from this crisis. Despite the gravity of the economic situation, many continue to enjoy free fuel, free luxury vehicles, and an assortment of perks that are funded by taxpayers. This disparity is not just unfair — it is immoral.
Nowhere in the world is this culture of entitlement as entrenched as it is in Pakistan. In most developed nations, public servants are required to use public transport or fuel-efficient vehicles, and even then, fuel expenses are monitored and reimbursed strictly based on need and performance. But in Pakistan, senior government officials ride around in fuel-guzzling SUVs and luxury cars, often for personal use, with no accountability. Meanwhile, the poor are told to “tighten their belts” and “make sacrifices for the country.”
This free-fuel culture has become a toxic legacy of misplaced priorities and unchecked privilege. It drains the national treasury of billions every year. These funds could — and should — be redirected toward targeted relief programs for low-income households, especially at a time when the economic squeeze is reaching intolerable levels. The state must ask itself: how can it justify giving away fuel to the privileged when the poor cannot even afford to cook their meals or send their children to school?
Ending this two-tiered system of governance is not just an economic imperative — it is a matter of social justice. The government must urgently reform the existing policies that provide fuel allowances and luxury vehicles to senior officials. Replacing these perks with modest, need-based transport subsidies — if any — would send a powerful signal that the government is willing to lead by example and share in the hardships faced by the people.
Equally troubling is the lack of long-term planning that this price hike exposes. Pakistan remains woefully unprepared to deal with global oil shocks. Successive governments have failed to build strategic fuel reserves, improve public transportation systems, or invest in alternative energy sources. Instead, they continue to take reactive, short-term decisions — often at the urging of international financial institutions such as the IMF, with the burden falling squarely on the poor.
The absence of foresight has now created a vicious cycle: global oil prices rise, and the cost is immediately passed on to the public, with no mitigating strategies in place. There are no buffer mechanisms to protect the masses. There are no subsidies for low-income earners. There are no efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels through renewable energy initiatives or urban transport planning. This failure in governance is not just inefficient — it is reckless.
The timing of this fuel price hike only adds salt to the wound. Inflation is already hovering at dangerously high levels. Utility bills have become unaffordable, food prices are skyrocketing, and school fees are increasingly out of reach for the average family. This additional burden has pushed countless households beyond the brink of survival. People are not only frustrated; they are desperate.
Small businesses are closing down. Transport fares have doubled in some cities. Workers are unable to commute to jobs that already pay below subsistence level. In rural areas, where distances are longer and infrastructure is weaker, the impact is even more catastrophic. For many families, it is no longer a question of reducing expenses — it is a question of basic survival.
The public outcry is growing, and rightly so. Citizens are demanding accountability, relief, and empathy from a government that seems increasingly detached from their daily realities. There is a pressing need for emergency measures: reversing the latest fuel price hike, rolling back non-essential perks for government officials, and introducing relief packages for vulnerable populations.
At this critical juncture, the government must remember that leadership is not judged by how well it protects the powerful, but by how compassionately it supports the powerless. The elite may have influence, but it is the people — the millions who labor quietly every day to keep this country running.
Pakistan’s poor are watching. They are hoping for relief, for fairness, and above all, for mercy.
