Regulators hide behind a spreadsheet
OGRA’s role is to translate Platts assessments, cargo costs, premiums and exchange‑rate swings into a transparent price formula. The October revision, however, appears as a single upward tick with no itemised ledger. The press‑release image lists the new figures but omits the underlying arithmetic. When the regulator refuses to publish the components, it defeats the very purpose of a regulated market and leaves citizens to shoulder an opaque surcharge.
Public outcry is unmistakable
Social‑media users have voiced the same frustration in plain language. One user wrote, “How on earth we always go against the Petro Law!!! When international market crude is up, Pakistan lowers the prices; when crude is down, Pakistan jacks up the prices…” Another sarcastically asked, “Is this the good news they were talking about? After 48 hrs they said.” Urdu‑speaking commenters added, “مہنگائی نے عام عوام کا جینا مشکل کر دیا ہے … مگر ہمارے ارباب اختیار کو کوئی پرواہ ہی نہیں” and “اب یہ کوئی خبر رہی نہیں … اس بزدل قوم کو کوئی فرق نہیں پڑتا … فاقے کر لیں گے مگر سر نہیں اٹھائیں گے.” The chorus is clear: the price‑setting machinery is perceived as detached from ordinary lives.
