'Apathy, incompetency': Opposition slams government over petrol crisis

• Maryam Nawaz terms petrol crisis the "height of injustice".
• Bilawal says govt turns solvable issues "into crisis through incompetence".
• PPDA's strike leads to long-queue brawls as people begin panic buying.

The Opposition lashed out at the government over the ongoing petrol crisis, as thousands of people lined up to get their tanks filled after Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) announced a country-wide strike Thursday.

PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said the government's "apathy and incompetency" had forced people to wait in long queues to get wheat, sugar, and petrol.

Terming it "the height of injustice", Maryam said that despite all the chaos, the government has been "inconsiderate" towards the masses. The PML-N leader claimed she had never witnessed Prime Minister Imran Khan "being worried over a common man's problems."

Sharing a video on Twitter in which a man could be seen criticising the government as he stood outside a petrol pump in Islamabad — along with several people waiting to get their tanks filled — Maryam said: "This is the humiliation that Imran Khan has earned for a few days in power."

In another tweet, Maryam shared images of long queues outside petrol pumps in Islamabad, Lahore, and Gujranwala, and said: "These are not just long queues, [these images depict] people's misery, pain, and helplessness."

The PML-N said she prayed, "Imran Khan, people who impose him [on the country], and ministers" also stand in such long queues so they could realise the misery of the masses."

Petrol crisis depicts govt's failure: Bilawal

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in a statement, said the entire nation was worried as the government had shown its "incompetence" in dealing with petroleum dealers.

"Most of the petrol pumps are closed in the country, while several long queues could be seen [...] businesses affairs are affected, which is the government's failure," the PPP leader said.

Bilawal said PM Imran Khan had "ruined" the lives of people after his government had affected every aspect of life. "PTI-led government turns solvable issues into a crisis through its incompetence."

The PPP chairman noted the next increase in the price of petrol would be disastrous for the masses, as he said that the rise in the rates of electricity, expensive petrol, and gas were the "gifts of the PTIMF deal".

"From day one we had said that the PTI's budget was a failure [...] and the failure of the budget has proved that Imran Khan's government is incompetent," Bilawal said.

Long queues, brawls, traffic jams

Long queues, brawls, and traffic jams were witnessed at petrol pump stations across Pakistan Thursday morning as the strike announced by petroleum dealers triggered panic buying.

The PPDA had announced they would go on a strike from today (Thursday) till an indefinite period to demand an increase in the margin on the sale of petroleum products.

"Petrol pumps across the country will remain closed today," said the Petroleum Dealers Association secretary. "The government did not accept our demands. Till the government does not increase the dealers' margin to 6%, we will not negotiate with them," he added.

He alleged that the government had provided assurances of fulfilling dealers' demands but so far, had not spoken to them.