M A N S E H R A : Residents on Wednesday demanded that the government bring down prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as a 15kg cylinder is being sold at Rs7,000, putting an additional financial burden on them.

`We are already suffering from high inflation in the country, and now the price of a 15kg LPG cylinder, which is widely used by domestic consumers, has increased to Rs7,000 from Rs6,000, Mohammad Jabran, a resident, told reporters.

Residents of Khawajgan,Pakhal and Siren valleys decried the sudden increase in LPG prices and demanded that the government bring down its prices.

`Since the start of the US-Iran war, the LPG prices have been increased several times,` Mr Jabran said. Another resident, Mohammad Ajmal, said that people in far-off areas were bearing the brunt of the hike in LPG prices.

`High inflation has already affected our children`s education and kitchens, and now the increase in the price of LPG would further affect our households,` he said.

Mr Ajmal said the government should takenotice of the increase in LPG prices. `Since motorists have also converted their vehicles to LPG, alongside petrol and compressed naturalgas, prices are unstable,` he said.

Meanwhile, Upper Kohistan district administration warned the LPG dealers of strict action if they raised the commodity`s price.

`We are regularly monitoring the prices of LPG, and if anybody increases rates, the law would take its course,` Wajahat Raza Qurashi, the additional assistant commissioner (general), told the dealers during a meeting at his office.