{
  "id": 8247351,
  "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",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T12:18:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "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": "In Sindh, PTI lawmakers made a bold statement by arriving at the provincial assembly on donkey carts, in protest against the recent surge in petrol prices. PTI member Sajjad Ali led the charge, saying in a video that ministers and treasury MPAs should come to the assembly the same way. Ali and his colleagues held placards and shouted slogans against the federal government over the price hike. The lawmakers rode donkeys from nearby assembly areas to the main gate, demanding immediate withdrawal of the increase in petroleum prices. Ali emphasized that the protest aimed to expose the struggles of ordinary citizens due to soaring fuel costs. The recent unrest in the Middle East, disrupting major oil supply routes, has driven up fuel prices over the past two months. Currently, petrol costs Rs390.79 per liter, and high-speed diesel (HSD) is priced at Rs424.92 per liter, both including Rs114 per liter in taxes and duties. On Thursday, the Pakistan Bar Council's Executive Committee and Rules Committee also criticized the daily increases in fuel prices and called for government intervention to alleviate the burden on citizens. The government subsequently launched a relief scheme for motorcycle, auto, and small car users to ease the financial impact of the rising oil prices. However, the scheme encountered hurdles on its first day of nationwide implementation, as many petrol stations refused to apply the digital app, alleging insufficient infrastructure to provide petrol at the subsidized rate. Additionally, the government reinstated austerity measures, including setting an 9pm curfew for markets and reducing fuel supplies 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 - Pakistan",
        "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",
        "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."
}