Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said the prices of oil products are going up in the international market and it is beyond the control of the government.
"The fuel prices are not in the control of the government. The Ogra is an independent organisation and it passes on the effect of increase in international market to masses. The government has nothing to do with increase in fuel prices; rather it only tries to lower its effect on the masses. We are political people and we have to deliver. We cannot afford to be rejected by masses."
The Prime Minister expressed these views while responding to the members on the floor of the Senate on Friday. He said the government in consultation with political leadership would find a way out to provide relief to masses and minimise their burden. For this purpose, the finance minister will sit with leadership and find out how to provide relief to masses.
He said the government already is paying Rs 35 billion subsidy on petroleum products. Our tax on petroleum products is the lowest in the world, he said. While referring to achievements of the government, the prime minister said our remittances crossed $11 billion, foreign exchange reserves at $17 billion and exports $20 billion while stock index is also going up. He said the increase in wheat crop resulted in prosperity for farmers. Despite flash floods we exported wheat, he added.
Responding to a point of order about Balochistan, the prime minister said the government has taken many measures to remove sense of deprivation of the people of the province. He said the representation of Balochistan and Fata have been made effective in the Cabinet. He said the PPP-government has initiated dialogue with the leadership of Balochistan as well as introduced "Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package for prosperity of the province and its people.
The prime minister said that electricity has been provided to all Basic Health Units in Balochistan. He added that youth of 30 districts of the province would be awarded scholarships and admission in well-reputed educational institutions of the country. Relaxation has been given to Baloch people in 5,000 jobs and 5,000 more are in the pipeline, he said.
Informing the Senate, the Prime Minister said Information Technology campuses with best faculty of the country would be set up in each and every district of the province. Commenting on the semi-final cricket match between Pakistan, India, Gilani said he would invite the members of national cricket team.
He acknowledged the performance of Pakistan cricket team in the World Cup for reaching the semi-final. "We have to encourage our players for even better results in future." He said the semi-final match provided a very useful opportunity to the leadership of Pakistan and India to get together and discuss the whole gamut of bilateral relations.
He said all the issues including the core issue of Kashmir was part of the discussion between Pakistan and India and both agreed on resolving all the issues through dialogue and give their nations peace and prosperity. The issues of inflation, poverty, hunger, disease and unemployment also came under discussion, he added.
The Prime Minister also spoke on Pak-Afghan relations saying that the President of Afghanistan for the first time had realised that Pakistan and Afghanistan had suffered in the hands of common enemy (terrorists). "We both should get united and fight common enemy," he added. The prime minister condemned the suicide attacks on JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman saying, "We have to chalk out a joint strategy to curb the menace of terrorism."