I S L A M A B A D : Pakistan Restaurants Caterers Sweets and Bakers Association on Thursday demanded the government to immediately withdraw the increase in gas tariff for commercial consumers, as it amounts to economic killing of businessmen.

Addressing a press conference here at the National Press Club, Association`s President Mohammad Farooq Chaudhry, along with President of Central Anjuman Tajran Punjab Shahid Ghafoor Pracha, Chairman Mumtaz Ahmed, President of Islamabad Restaurant Khurram Khan and others demanded the government to withdraw the hike in gas tariff.

`The government should provide relief to the poor rather than extinguishingtheirstove, the burden of the IMF economic programme should not be put on the poor people, the cruel increase in the gas tariffmeans an increase in environmental pollution, if the government does not accept the demands, we will go on hunger strike,` Farooq Chaudhry said.

He further said that the recent increase of 130% in the prices of needle gas has increased even more than the prices of CNG.

Shahid Ghafoor Pracha, President of Central Anjuman Tajran Punjab, said that the suddenincreaseingas prices has made it impossible for the common man to live.

The participants of the press conference said that the increase in this tariff will increase the prices of common man`s food, roti dal curry, due to which it will be out of reach of people and people will not have purchasing power.

They said that traders will be forced to stop business due to this, adding that this hike should be withdrawn and rate should be determined tariff in consultation with the stakeholders.