The opposition in Senate on Friday said that the present government had come to power as a result of deal which Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had struck with President Pervez Musharraf. This was the deal that also forced Musharraf to quit' it added.
The accusations came when Water and Power Minister Pervez Ashraf made a statement that PPP ministers were making decisions independently, without taking dictations from bureaucracy. Taking the floor without properly waiting from permission from the acting chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali, opposition leader Kamil Ali Agha said that everybody knew that PPP had come into power under a deal. Speaking on a point of order, he said that the present government must not blame the previous government for every problem that people are currently facing.
"Power load-shedding has made lives miserable, and you blame the previous government. People are confronting problems and the ministers are scoring points by accusing the previous government," he said. Ashraf said that it was the tenure of PML-Q government that Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) was privatised, which resulted in intensive load-shedding in Karachi. After KESC's privatisation, the government role has been restricted as it would have to act in accordance with the privatisation agreement.
However, the minister assured the house that there would be no load-shedding during Saher and Iftar times in Ramazan and the overall duration of the load-shedding would also be minimised.
PML-N's Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said that 14 to 16 hours load-shedding in Peshawar and its adjacent areas has left the people in miserable condition. These power cuts have forced the people to come to the roads, he added. He warned that the people's representatives would also sit among the demonstrators if the situation was not improved.
On a point of order, Nisar Memon warned that the country was being disintegrated through an international conspiracy. He said that coming of power of the present government was part of that conspiracy. Quoting from a research paper, he said that the prevalent price hike and food shortages were also part of that scheme.
Jamali asked the leader of the house Raza Rabbani that Prime Minister should come and take this house into confidence over the issue. Agreeing to the proposal, Raza said that the government would not allow anyone to disintegrate the country. Every Pakistani is ready to sacrifice his life for the security of the country.