The opposition in senate on Tuesday criticised the government plan of going to International Monetary Fund without proper homework and privatisation of the country's second largest gas field Qadirpur Gas Field and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).
Most of the opposition lawmakers accused the government of shying away from real issues gripping the common man and going to IMF without necessary preparations. Opposition senators apprehended that Dadu Sugar Mills had been sold to favourites for just Rs 90 million, as an offer of Rs 450 million was rejected previously.
PML (N) senators Ishaq Dar and Sadia Abbasi were at the forefront to oppose the government warning the IMF package would lead the country into further crisis. Senator Dilawar Abbas of PML (Q) who is also head of the house committee on petroleum and natural resources also opposed the government plan.
"The proposed sell-off of Qadirpur Gas Field will be a blunder. It is being done at a wrong time when the whole world is in economic recession," said former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
The gas field is sold out when the government has no study on the deep zones and shallow zones of the field. According to a study available presently, he said five trillion cubic feet of gas is available in just one zone of the field, Dar added.
He said deep and shallow study of the gasfield should be carried out instead of its privatisation because like Sui gasfields, gas reserves could be more than so far estimated. The US and the UK were back to nationalisation of their key entities. The senator also warned the government against blindly following IMF conditionalities, which would be counter-productive, he added.
A senator from the treasury benches, Azam Swati held ex-premier Shaukat Aziz and his economic experts responsible for the grave economic situation. Senator Sadia Abbasi said that the senate was conducting just a general debate and the advisors are not giving the details about the conditionalities, which are being discussed with the IMF. She said that Tarin brought a team of officials, which comprised those who were the leaders of economic team of Shaukat Aziz government.
Senator Professor Ibrahim Khan said that he would oppose the privation plan and said that the government must cut its expenditure. "I fear that federal cabinet could be 100-minister strong. Zardari must not take 200-stong delegation to foreign countries. We doubt his claim that he bear their expenses from his own pocket," he added. Dilawar Abbas also opposed the privatisation of Qadirpur Gas Field. He was critical of the plan of selling the shares of National Bank of Pakistan to China. Presently the share value of NBP dropped and the buyer will demand this price, which could be an injustice with the bank and its employees.
The senate proceedings, which resumed 45 minutes behind schedule at 3:45pm., were marred by a token walkout, led by the ruling coalition partners - JUI-Fazl senators - followed by opposition legislators against the fresh wave of attacks by security forces in Swat, which they alleged had resulted in killing of civilians and damage to private property.
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