The opposition members demanded on Friday the government get rid of its “incompetent and fake doctor” petroleum minister and circulate “draft of facts” among National Assembly members reflecting a comparison between gas availability and shortage on Monday.
For a shock to the treasury benches, some members from major coalition partners, including the Awami National Party (ANP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), also called for solutions to the problems being faced by the people. Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi also snubbed the religious affairs minister’s proposal to form a bipartisan committee to propose to the government how to handle gas shortage. Kundi said forming so many committees was not wise and rather every committee should be given draft proposals within a timeframe. Supporting views of Kundi, Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan came down hard on the government and advised the ruling party to get rid of the petroleum minister, whom he called a “fake doctor”.
Speaking on a point of order, Nisar said there was no precedence of forming so many committees as done by the incumbent parliament, and so many committees had been formed without any plan of action. At the start of Question Hour, Acting Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi expressed displeasure over the absence of the secretaries concerned in the gallery during the Question Hour and directed the establishment secretary to report about them in the next session on Monday. Khurshid Shah also backed the move and suggested any secretary who did not turn up in the House should be sacked. The House also unanimously passed the Carriage by Air Bill of 2011, moved by Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar.
During his speech, Nisar was supported by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members who raised slogans against gas shortage in the country. But opposition MPs did not stage a walkout against the issue despite warnings by the opposition leader, who had threatened action on Thursday if gas shortage was not addressed. “Other than the Public Accounts Committee, no committee has come up with any achievements and no other committee’s plan has been implemented by the government. Even the resolutions by the joint session of parliament have been ignored,” Nisar said. He asked the government to replace Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain and appoint a politician from among the ruling party in his place, who must be sensitised about the miseries of the people at the hands of the gas shortage. He said Dr Hussain was rewarded with such an important portfolio because of his close association with President Asif Ali Zardari. He also demanded the resignation of the minister and civil servants concerned with the gas sector, as according to him their inefficiency and failure had compounded the problems of the people. He demanded the government present correct facts on the gas shortage. He also rejected an offer made by Religious Affairs Minister Khurshid Shah to form a bipartisan committee to probe the gas shortage. On the closure of CNG stations next month, Nisar said his party was not in favour of this step and if any member from the opposition benches supported this decision, it might be their personal stance but had nothing to do with the party’s policy.
Nisar wants ‘fake doctor’ heading Petroleum Ministry out
