The government and its petroleum minister came under fire from the parliamentarians for acting against the recommendations of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) while announcing the increases in the prices of petroleum products.
PML-N member Ahsan Iqbal sought permission from the Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi to move a joint resolution to demand of the government to withdraw the exorbitant increase in the prices but the proceedings of the National Assembly were adjourned till Thursday evening.
Members from PML-N, JUI-F,group have signed the joint resolution. The PML-Q members, however, did not join the token walkout. The resolution would now be moved in the house on Thursday if the prices of petroleum products are not withdrawn.
The opposition parties and MQM separately walked out of the house while ANP member Dr Bushra Gohar also spoke against government’s decision.
Chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources Sardar Talib Nakai also registered his resentment as head of the committee and on behalf of PML. He also protested against statement of the petroleum minister in which he disclosed raise in prices, five days earlier.
Wasim Akhtar of MQM was the first to raise the issue in the National Assembly saying that it was decided to establish a committee comprising members from all the parliamentary parties on this issue. “The committee was not taken into confidence while increasing prices,” he said demanding immediate withdrawal in raise.
He also protested against re-start of target killings saying that the authorities knew as to who were the miscreants, but they were not taken to task. “We walk out of the house against raise in prices of petroleum products and target killings in Karachi,” he said.
Speaking on separate points of order, Ahsan Iqbal and Chaudhry Birjees Tahir of PML-N said the government had buried poor people alive by giving yet another raise in petroleum products.
Ahsan Iqbal said the government’s decision has come as a shock as for the first time, per litre price of diesel had crossed Rs100 mark while petrol also does not seem to lag behind and may well cross the Rs100 mark soon.
He said that Ogra in its recommendations had warned the federal government that increase in prices of petroleum products would skyrocket prices of daily use but the government paid no heed to the advice.
Chaudhry Birjees said that increase in prices of petroleum products and CNG and LPG would bring a new flood of price hike, making life of the poor more miserable.
Professor Khurshid Ahmad of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and PML-N senator Ishaq Dar raised issue of raise in petroleum prices on identical adjournment motions after which members from JI, PML-N, MQM and JUI-F staged walk out from the house.
Responding to adjournment motion, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain has offered that it is for the parliament to withdraw GST or Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) on POL products and gas to bring their prices down.
The Chairman held the motions in order and the House would hold a debate on the matter. He said the members could also suggest alternative financial resources if they want subsidy on these products.
The minister said the decision to raise prices of petroleum products and gas was unfortunate but the situation is not in the hands of the government. He said Pakistan is producing only 70,000 barrels of oil per day as against requirements of 380, 000 barrels saying the country is heavily dependent on import of crude oil and domestic prices have to reflect any change in the international market.
He said the Ogra calculates prices on the basis of change in the world fuel oil prices and rupee-dollar parity. Senator Ishaq Dar, however, said that the government could take administrative decision to decrease GST and PDL on petroleum products to facilitate masses.
No comments:
Post a Comment