The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered to stop the collection of additional premium charges imposed by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) companies, providing temporary relief to consumers.
The matter came before Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf, who heard a petition filed by Advocate Murtaza Khan. The petitioner argued that LPG companies had continued collecting extra premium charges despite an earlier restraining order issued by the court.
According to the petition, more than 40 applications had already been submitted to the President of the Lahore High Court regarding the issue. It was stated that LPG companies were recovering additional amounts from consumers under the name of a “premium”. He further said that charging extra premiums by LPG marketing companies was contrary to existing laws and regulatory principles.
The court took serious notice of the allegations and observed that companies could not be allowed to ignore court orders without consequences. Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf highlighted that businesses dealing with products used by ordinary citizens must operate responsibly and within the limits of the law. He also stated that additional premium charges increase pressure on families already coping with inflation.
The Lahore High Court has ordered an immediate suspension and notices were issued to LPG companies, directing them to justify the legality of the charges before the court.
On the other hand, earlier, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices increased once again, with the retail price crossing Rs400 per kilogram in several markets. Although the government has fixed the official LPG price at Rs241 per kilogram, the fuel is being sold in the retail market at prices ranging from Rs400 to Rs430 per kilogram.
Read more: LPG price increased again