Pakistanis rage over price hikes and govt fuel allowances on X after Rs55 ‘petrol bomb’ hits
As global oil prices surge amid the Middle East conflict, social media users question why austerity rarely extends to those in power.
At a nighttime press conference in Islamabad, the ministers of petroleum and finance made the announcement Pakistanis had been dreading for weeks: petrol prices in the country were to jump from Rs321 to Rs458 at the stroke of midnight.
Initial reactions to the news were so expletive-laden that we can’t publish them, but then something magical happened. As the dust settled and the people of Pakistan realised what was happening, they brought out their tried and tested crisis-coping mechanism: humour.
To start, a couple of X users were quick to point out the absurdity of a world where a war between three countries made life unaffordable in a fourth one.
Someone pointed out how a lot of people were going to try and fill up their tanks — and anything else they could find — in the final hours before prices shot up.
Students, who have consistently been asking for a suspension of classes in every crisis since the Covid-19 pandemic, were quick to demand classes move online in the face of rising transport costs.
Netizens who were less hopeful about working or studying from home began to consider alternate modes of transportation.
One user regretted selling his old bicycle — much like every Pakistani dad regrets selling that one plot of land — and another felt a horse would be a good investment in these trying times.
Someone — most likely an introvert — gave in to their inner voice and cancelled all their social plans effective immediately.
Netizens said fuel prices weren’t the only things rising rapidly.
Another group felt there were other woes to focus on.
A couple of people even found an especially innovative solution to save money on fuel.
Others also felt the petrol pump was no longer the right place to buy something so expensive; they suggested petrol be sold alongside gold at jewellery stores.
Jokes aside, the price hike is sure to bite hard into people’s incomes, with transport already accounting for a significant chunk of monthly expenses for many Pakistanis.
While the turmoil in the Middle East continues, we can’t be sure when — and if — things will go back to normal.