{
  "id": 8244541,
  "title": "'Petrol so expensive' that PTI lawmakers arrive at Sindh Assembly on donkey carts in protest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/petrol-so-expensive-that-pti-lawmakers-arrive-at-sindh-assembly-on",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T12:18:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2030879/petrol-so-expensive-that-pti-lawmakers-arrive-at-sindh-assembly-on-donkey-carts-in-protest"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KARACHI: Members of the PTI party arrived at the Sindh provincial assembly on donkey carts, staging a protest against the government's decision to increase petrol prices. Sajjad Ali, a prominent PTI lawmaker, was captured on video riding a donkey cart while holding a placard, urging fellow ministers and MPAs to join him in the same manner. The lawmakers, led by Ali, held placards and shouted slogans against the federal government regarding the recent hike in petrol prices. The protest was intended to draw attention to the hardships faced by ordinary citizens due to the soaring fuel prices. Ali explained that petrol had become so expensive that even reaching the assembly in a vehicle was no longer possible. The recent tensions in the Middle East, leading to disruptions in major oil supply routes, have caused fuel prices to rise over the past two months. Currently, the government adjusts fuel prices daily, with the latest change bringing petrol to Rs390.79 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) to Rs424.92 per litre. These prices also include a Rs114 per litre tax and duty on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. In response to the unprecedented daily increases, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) held a joint meeting, strongly condemning the situation and demanding the government take action to control the price hikes and provide relief to citizens. The government has introduced a relief scheme for small vehicles, offering relief on 20 litres of petrol per month for motorcycles, rickshaws, and two- and three-wheeler users, and Rs100 per litre relief on 30 litres of petrol for small car owners every month. However, the relief scheme faced challenges on its first day, with many petrol pumps refusing to honor the digital app due to a lack of systems to provide petrol at the reduced price. The government also reintroduced austerity measures, including setting the closing time for markets at 9pm and reducing fuel provision for official vehicles by 50% for three months.",
  "summary": "KARACHI: PTI lawmakers in Sindh arrived at the provincial assembly on donkey carts — in protest. “The ministers and [treasury] MPAs should also reach the assembly the same way on donkey carts,” PTI’s Sajjad Ali was seen saying in a video that showed him riding a donkey cart and holding a placard as he protested the “petrol bomb dropped on the people”. Other MPAs, led by Ali, also held placards…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "'Petrol so expensive' that PTI lawmakers arrive at Sindh Assembly on donkey carts in protest",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/petrol-so-expensive-that-pti-lawmakers-arrive-at-sindh-assembly-on-8247351",
        "published": "2026-09-18T12:18:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}