The government is raising great hue and cry that it is paying a subsidy to maintain petrol prices at the present level. But if you analyze, that is a pack of lies. Consider the present international price of 125 dollars per barrel. After processing, the price comes to about Rs 56 per liter. The public is paying Rs 87 per liter. Where goes the balance? Well, into the coffers of the government and the multinationals Where is the subsidy? Only in the government propaganda Not just that. Also consider the fact that Pakistan receives petroleum products from brotherly Arab countries on rates lower than the international rates. Where does the differential go? Another part of the equation is that the country produces oil up to 20% of our needs indigenously. Where do the proceeds of that go? -DR ZAHEER ASGHAR KHAN, Lahore Cantt., via e-mail, August 4.