Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) severely criticised the government on manifold increase in the sugar and petroleum products prices and announced to move a resolution in the National Assembly on Wednesday to withdraw the recent increase in prices of petroleum products.
Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) again staged a token walkout from the National Assembly on Monday in protest against the increase in inflation and petroleum products' prices and demanded of the Prime Minister to take solid measures to address these problems faced by the people.
"The PML-N will approach every party including Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP), and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) and even the members of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) to pass a resolution demanding of the government to withdraw the escalation in price of petroleum products. I asked the Prime Minister to listen to the voice of the poor who are crying due to price hike. We have no right to sit in the House if we did not address the problems of the people," Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Monday said on the floor of the House.
He said that the price of sugar has reached Rs 120 per Kg and people were crushed by the price hike. "What Finance Minister is doing; five months have passed after announcing of budget, toady Pakistan is facing economic crisis and he is not taking the House into confidence about the agreements with IMF and Pak-US strategic dialogue," he said.
He said Chief Minister Punjab had written five letters to the Prime Minster on the shortage of sugar in the province, but he did not bother to respond. During the speech of the Opposition Leader, the members of PML-N raised slogans, "No to price hike and corruption."
He said that in drone attacks many innocent people were being killed. About the accountability bill, he said that the Prime Minister had assured the House to bring the bill in the House six times but the government did not pay any heed. Nisar said that corruption cases against the government and opposition members should be put before the accountability courts.
The Opposition Leader said that the government must take notice of the issue that a federal minister's car with national flag was stopped on the Constitution Avenue by two army men on duty. "Instead of saluting the national flag they pointed guns on the vehicle. The government must conduct immediate inquiry into the incident and submit report to the house within two days," he demanded.
While responding to the points raised by Opposition Leader, Minster for Petroleum Naveed Qamar said that the petroleum prices vary in global market and OGRA has the authority to fix the prices of petroleum products. The Minister admitted the price of sugar is not sustainable while there is no shortage of sugar in the country but the millers minting money through cartelisation and collusive behaviour. He added that the government also importing the commodity to bring its prices to a reasonable level.
Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhmmad Gondal said that 0.3 million ton sugar is lying with the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), adding that one 0.1 million ton of sugar will be lifted by Punjab and remaining 0.2 million ton will be floated in the open market to bring sugar prices at reasonable level. He said that the provinces are not lifting the sugar lying with the TCP.
Regarding the point raised by the Opposition Leader, Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh said that they are ready to give the Parliament thorough in-camera or public briefing about the real picture of the economic situation of the Country.