Ruling parties evade power tariff hike issue

The Sindh Assembly could not discuss the recent increase in power tariff on Wednesday as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) ministers opposed the move, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers kept mum over the issue.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F)’s female MPA, Nusrat Saher Abbasi wanted the house to debate on the issue by moving an adjournment motion. It was another consecutive day in the House when the PML-F lawmakers, whose party is both part of the government and opposition, created a difficult situation for the ruling parties, especially the PPP, by bringing up matters of “public importance”.
However, the PPP ministers tried their best to avoid such issues on technical grounds and the MQM’s members preferred to sit on the sidelines. Abbasi insisted that the House should discuss the recent increase in power tariff that has badly affected the people of the province. In her adjournment motion, she stated that last Friday, the government increased the power tariff by 27 paisa per unit through a two percent special surcharge to fulfill its commitment with the International Monetary Fund.
PPP leader and law minister, Ayaz Soomro opposed the adjournment motion, saying that the matter concerns the federal government, and it is already being discussed in the National Assembly. Electric Power Minister Shazia Marri also supported the law minister’s stance. She said that the province has representation in National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and matter could be taken up there.
Additionally, she added, the provincial Electric Power Department has also taken up the issue with the authorities concerned, including the Karachi Electric Supply Company. “It is more appropriate if the issue is being discussed in the National Assembly”, she added. Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro also told the PML-F legislator that under the Sindh Assembly’s rules of procedure, a resolution could be brought on the issue, therefore, bringing an adjournment motion was unnecessary.
Opposition leader Jam Madad Ali complained that the PPP members oppose every issue of public importance whenever it is brought up by the opposition members. As the arguments on the question of admissibility of the adjournment motion from both sides continued, the speaker announced that the time reserved for an adjournment motion was over. He advised both sides to continue their arguments on Thursday and he would take a decision on the matter later.
Earlier during the Question Hour, Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo informed the House that there is no agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the distribution of Kabul River’s water. He said that all the four provinces including Sindh have been given water share on availability basis. Responding to another question, he disclosed that sewage water is being discharged into Rice Canal from 20 major and small towns of the province.
Different lawmakers including the speaker and the PPP’s Munawar Abbasi and Dr Ahmed Ali Shah expressed their concern over the issue and said that a large portion of the population consumes the canal’s water. They said that local governments should strictly be directed to ensure disposal of the sewage water after treatment. The irrigation minister assured them that the Public Health Department and local governments would prepare water treatment schemes. Two government bills were also introduced during the proceedings –the Sindh Protection of Human Rights Bill, 2011 and the Sindh Tourist Guides Bill, 2011.