Oil price hike impact passed to masses to avert loan burden: PM.

ISLAMABAD -- Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the government was compelled to pass on the impact of oil prices to consumers to avert additional debt burden on the country.

Speaking to a private television channel during his visit to North Waziristan on Wednesday, which was aired on Friday night, Prime Minister Khan said the country could not afford more loans to keep petroleum prices at the minimum benchmark.

He said devaluation of rupee had impacted prices of petroleum products, pulses, ghee and other imported items, which gave rise to inflation.

'The value of dollar surged from Rs107 to Rs160 during the current government's term that had also pushed the prices up,' he added.

The prime minister pointed out the exorbitant contracts signed by the previous government with power producing companies.

'The incumbent government could not take such measures as it would further burden the country with debt,' he said.

To a question, Mr Khan said after merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, people of the tribal districts would see a positive change vis-a-vis development of their area under the provincial government's mega development package.

Asked about the UK-based assets recovery firm, Broadsheet, the prime minister said it had nothing to do with the present government as Gen Pervez Musharraf had signed the contract and backtracked unilaterally by giving NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) to Nawaz Sharif.

'The government has formed a ministerial committee, also comprising judges and lawyers, to probe the case and suggest a way forward to retrieve public money stacked abroad. The government had to pay Broadsheet or face a daily markup of 5,000 pounds,' he said.

Prime Minister Khan also called for an open hearing of the foreign funding case against the ruling Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI).

He said open hearing of the case, be it by the Supreme Court or the Election Commission of Pakistan, should be held.

'PTI's whole funding was legal with complete record of donors, contrary to the opposition parties, which were unable to name their financiers,' he said.

'Would I have called for an open hearing if I was frightened,' he questioned, adding that the allegations of Israeli or Indian funding by an anti-PTI individual were ill-intentioned and mala fide.

Read: ECP rules out open hearing of foreign funding case

Mr Khan said in the past, the opposition had its own handpicked chief election commissioner.

'Now as the incumbent government had appointed the new...