LAHORE: The opposition in the Punjab Assembly grilled the government during general debate on the price control in the House on Thursday and demanded resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar over his alleged failure to control skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.
As per the agenda, the general debate on the price control was already scheduled during the government business, but the session started with a delay of more than an hour with Mian Muhammad Shafi in the chair.
Minister for Higher Education Department Raja Yasir Hamayun gave answers to lawmakers' queries during the question-hour.
Taking part in the general debate, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader Syed Hassan Murtaza came down hard on the government for its failure to control the prices of essential commodities in the country. Taking jibe at the prime minister, he said that the prices of commodities increase manifold whenever PM Imran takes notice.
"The sugar price has increased from Rs 45 to Rs 90 per kilogram and there was 500 percent increase in the price of medicines after PM's notice," Murtaza said, adding that currently each flour bag's price has been increased from Rs 700 to Rs 1100 while the government is giving benefit to the mafia by increasing petrol price by Rs 25 per litre.
He was of the view that Jahangir Khan Tareen was used by the ruling PTI for five years and then the PTI-led government helped him in fleeing from the country. On this, MPAs of the PTI shouted slogans against the PPP leader and disrupted his speech.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Saba Sadiq demanded resignation of the Punjab chief minister, alleging that the Buzdar administration has "miserably" failed to give any relief to the masses. She pointed out that the prices of flour, sugar and cooking oil have not only increased in the local market but also rose at the utility stores that are being run by the government.
While responding to the PPP leaders, Treasury MPA Uzma Kardar said that those who are talking about Sindh could not satisfy the country's top court on wheat theft. She claimed that the PTI government is giving "subsidies" to the masses while the previous rulers were busy in making offshore properties.
Speaking on a Point of Order, MPA Syed Ali Haider Gillani questioned the establishment of South Punjab Secretariat at Bahawalpur and asked the government to clarify whether it is being built in Multan or in Bahawalpur.
He wondered that if the South Punjab's secretariat is established in Bahawalpur, it will be tantamount to depriving the MPAs and the masses of their right to speak. He claimed that there is huge curiosity and "unrest" amongst the people about the establishment of the secretariat. Responding to his concerns, Law Minister Raja Basharat said that the House will be informed in this regard soon.
Concluding the general debate on price control, Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal said that both the PML-N and PPP had been in power since a long time and asked what they had done for poor masses during their tenures?
"What we are experiencing these days is the result of their (PML-N and PPP) flawed policies that ruined the country," the minister said, adding that the previous regimes had allegedly been involved in making offshore properties, enjoying on public money, creating corruption mafias and now "on what ground they are asking about the country's economy," he asked.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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