ISLAMABAD: Charged with anger and disappointment over the government’s failure to curb inflation, the opposition and the treasury members in Senate on Monday lambasted the government for ‘dropping a fuel bomb’ on the people by increasing the prices of petroleum products by as much as nine percent.
Speaking on a point of order, Leader of Opposition Senator Wasim Sajjad took the lead when he plainly announced a token walk out against the recent hike in petroleum products’ prices. And he was followed by senators from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat-e-Islami and even the coalition partner Jamiat UIema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Ismail Buledi.
The senators also demanded of the government to reverse the decision immediately. Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Babar Khan Ghauri lamented that even the allied parties were not taken into confidence by Islamabad when taking the decision to increase the prices of petroleum products. He demanded the government to immediately withdraw the decision.
JUI-F’s Senator Ismail Buledi, meanwhile, wondered whether his party was part of the government because Islamabad did not consult the JUI-F before increasing the petroleum prices. He asked the chair to convey the senators’ concerns to the prime minister otherwise his party would not let the House run.
Buledi also staged a token walkout from the House on the issue.
PML-N Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah termed the decision taken by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) as a challenge for the much-touted supremacy of parliament and added that the decision should be taken after approval from the cabinet.
PPP Senator Safdar Abbasi criticised the government for excessive borrowing from local banks and warned that the country was moving into a death trap. However, Leader of the House Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari took the position that OGRA was the body that decided ‘when and by how much’ prices of the petroleum products would increase or decrease, and added that the cabinet had no concern with the process.
Earlier, the House passed a resolution to offer condolences over the sad demise of former president, senator and sitting MNA Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari. Senate Chairman Farooq H Naik deferred a Constitution Amendment Bill introduced by Professor Khurshid Ahmed for further deliberations.
Enraged senators blast govt over petroleum prices
