FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

The powerful mafias working in the shape of cartels in different sectors of the economy are out to block the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) as a watchdog institution and this was evident in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Just a day after the approval of CCP Ordinance by the Standing Committee on Finance Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Kashmala Tariq has expressed concern over the passage of bill. The opposition to the CCP on one pretext of other has also been shown by Sindh Provincial government and Pakistan Muslim League (N) parliamentarian Khawaja Asif.
Kashmila Tariq seems to have come to the House just for this very purpose and was so impatient that after occupying her seat she started raising points of order. She stood up on her seat and kept shouting for permission the speak despite being informed by the speaker that it was decided in the House Advisory Committee that point of orders would be taken up in the last half an hour of the proceedings.
She kept on reiterating her stance and even approached Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League (N) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after speaker's refusal to give her the floor directing the members to continue with the House business. What was she up to no one had a slightest clue until she was allowed to take the floor.
She was very upset over passage of CCP bill by the Committee and alleged that the Committee's Chairman Fauzia Wahab did not inform the members well before time about the meeting which was going to take up very important legislation pertaining to competition.
However Fauzai Wahab put the record straight that the CCP Ordinance was not passed in haste rather the first meeting of the Committee was postponed on November, 5 on the request of members who wanted time to study the bill in detail before giving its approval.
And the bill was passed in the second meeting of Finance Committee after detailed discussion and briefing by the Chairman CCP. Though, it was not clear whether or not another meeting of the Committee will be held, what was patently evident is that Parliamentarian would not compromise their vested interest even for those who have chosen them to protect their interests and work for their weal in the Parliament.
They are against the CCP and its Chairman because he has taken quite a few actions against cartelization in various sectors of the economy, where they have the main stakes or they are bent on protecting their kiths and kin. November, 28 is the last date of validation of the CCP Ordinance according to the Supreme Court verdict and Chairman CCP has also apprised of the consequence if it was not approved by the Parliament giving it permanent status.
The CCP would cease to exist along with the actions taken by the Commission after the February 2, 2008. Also the effect would be disastrous on the national economy which is facing plethora of problems in the absence of any market regulator. Take the recent example of sugar crisis with tons of commodity lying in the go downs the cartels are not willing to sell it at competitive market price.
The CCP has emerged as the only hope for the people of Pakistan against the prevalent cartelization in various sectors of the economy despite the fact that the government did not provide it the required funds to carry out its business smoothly. The other regulators are not in agreement with the directives of Minister of Finance to provide the CCP three percent of their fee to run its day to day affairs.
The government needs to realise that the strong CCP would be in its own benefit to help regulate the market to some extent. So it should strengthen it and provide it required funding to operate more efficiently against the cartelization and give competition a chance under free market economy.
Though the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) twice pointed out quorum to embarrass the government, yet the House unanimously approved Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Bill by suspending the business with the consent of the opposition. The legislation proposing 10 years punishment on removal of human organs without authority was hailed by booth the sides of the House as historic.
The Prime Minister assured the House of more people-friendly legislation in the days to come, however, one wonders why neither the Prime Minister nor any opposition members could find anything people friendly in the CCP law. Someone needs to tell them that approval of the CCP law by the Parliament would improve their deteriorating image among the masses.
The proceedings were suspended for 20 minutes being short of required members in the House and plausible justification for this could be the meeting between Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Muslim League (N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif on the proposed Balochistan package. The House would meet today at 10 am amid rumours of prorogation.