Senate session: opposition sans JUI stages walkout against hike in oil prices

All opposition parties except Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) on Friday staged walkout from the Senate's session in protest against the recent increase in petroleum products' prices by the government. Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) raised the issue in the Senate and said that the government dropped petrol bomb on the people every month.
He said that the government did not decrease the prices of petroleum products when there was a declining trend in the international market. He said that the government was not paying any attention to unemployment and rising corruption in the country. Senator Haji Adeel of Awami National Party (ANP) said that a Parliamentary Committee had been formed for chalking out mechanism regarding petroleum products' prices. No meeting of the committee was called but the prices of petroleum products were increased, he wondered.
Senator Rehana Tahya Baloch of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) and coalition partner of PPP government senator Shirala Mallick of Mutthida Quami Movement (MQM) also condemned the increase in petroleum products' prices. Later, Senators from Balochistan raised the issues of electricity load shedding of electricity and law and order situation in the province in the House.
Dr Muhammad Ismail Buledi of JUI-F said that the law and order situation in Balochistan was worst. He said that innocent people were being killed but the government was not taking any action. Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo of National Party (NP) said that as many as 180(shot to death) dead bodies were thrown at desolate places. He said that most of the students were shot dead but the government failed to establish its writ in the province.
Nawabzada Haji Lashkari Raisani of PPP-P said that the load shedding was being carried out for the last many months in Balochistan. He said that the government should resolve this issue and find out its alternate at the earliest. Abdul Rahim Khan Mandokhel of PKMAP said that power shutdown was a matter of routine in almost all the provinces. He said that agriculture sector was badly affected due to load shedding.