Opposition stages walk out from NA on oil prices, agri issuess
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD (Dcember 9): The combined opposition on Thursday staged walkout from the National Assembly twice to protest against the speaker’s attitude for not allowing them to raise the issue of high petroleum prices in the country and on agriculture related issues.
Before opposition’s staging a walkout, the National Assembly proceedings remained suspended for a while due to lack of quorum. At the outset of proceedings of the lower house of the parliament, opposition member Nawab Yousaf Talpur pointed out the quorum and the speaker had no other option but to postpone the proceedings for a while.
PML-N acting parliamentary leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan, on a point of order, raised the issue of high petroleum product process and demanded a thorough discussion on the price mechanism in the country.
He said big fraud is being made with the people in the name of the petroleum prices mechanism as all the profits made by the oil marketing companies and government through tax despite the reduction of the prices in the international market. He stressed for a detailed debate in the house so that the opposition could expose the government policy.
However, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Jadoon denied any decrease in international prices saying the government will decrease the petroleum products prices as soon as the international prices will come down.
He claimed that the government is providing Rs 70 billion as subsidy to the people in petroleum prices. He said Pakistan has to fulfil 88 per cent need of the petroleum products through imports and the prices are linked with the international market. He said the government has taken adequate measures to ensure transparency in the oil prices and assured the house that there is no fraud being done in this regard by the OCAC.
PML-N’s Tehmina Daultana also wanted to speak on the issue but was not allowed by the speaker, which prompted the opposition to use the option of staging walkout from the National Assembly. The opposition had also staged a walkout earlier when speaker did not allow Nawab Yousaf Talpur to speak on agricultural issue on a point of order. On a point of order, Nawab Yousaf Talpur while referring to the quorum said the speaker should run the business of the house according to the laid down rules and procedures. On these remarks, the speaker asked the opposition MNA not to dictate him while speaking on the floor of the house and switched off the member’s mike.
However, on Nawab Yousaf Talpur’s protest, the speaker allowed him to speak. Talpur drew the attention of the house towards the problems the agriculture sector is facing. The speaker remarked that Talpur wants to say every thing on a point of order leaving all other tools meant for raising such issues in the house, and ruled out the point of order.
Yousuf Talpur reacted to the speaker’s remark and the opposition staged a walkout from the National Assembly. The speaker also reserved his ruling on the issue of not presenting the Islamic Ideological Council (IIC) report in the house for further reviewing the matter.
Speaking on a point of order, MMA legislator Maulana Sherani said that according to the constitution, the Islamic Ideological Council report should be presented before the house after three years but since 2002 no IIC report has been presented.
However, the NA speaker maintained that the report was presented in the house in 1997, but the MMA leader said that he was not talking about 1997 report but about the current report. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Dr Shahzad Wasim told the house that Waziristan’s political administration is making efforts to recover the kidnapped journalist in Mir Ali area of the agency.
Responding a point of order, he said investigations are under way to establish the facts about his kidnapping and a report in this regard would be presented in the house. Responding to a calling attention notice regarding non-awarding of degrees to the students of the OPF Girl’s College, Minister for Labour and Manpower Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that process is under way for getting affiliation of the OPF Girls College, Islamabad, with Balochistan University, Quetta, for awarding them degrees. He said the college signed affiliations with various institutions in the past, which were terminated, and no other university in Islamabad or Punjab showed their willingness to accept the college affiliation with it.
ISLAMABAD (Dcember 9): The combined opposition on Thursday staged walkout from the National Assembly twice to protest against the speaker’s attitude for not allowing them to raise the issue of high petroleum prices in the country and on agriculture related issues.
Before opposition’s staging a walkout, the National Assembly proceedings remained suspended for a while due to lack of quorum. At the outset of proceedings of the lower house of the parliament, opposition member Nawab Yousaf Talpur pointed out the quorum and the speaker had no other option but to postpone the proceedings for a while.
PML-N acting parliamentary leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan, on a point of order, raised the issue of high petroleum product process and demanded a thorough discussion on the price mechanism in the country.
He said big fraud is being made with the people in the name of the petroleum prices mechanism as all the profits made by the oil marketing companies and government through tax despite the reduction of the prices in the international market. He stressed for a detailed debate in the house so that the opposition could expose the government policy.
However, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Jadoon denied any decrease in international prices saying the government will decrease the petroleum products prices as soon as the international prices will come down.
He claimed that the government is providing Rs 70 billion as subsidy to the people in petroleum prices. He said Pakistan has to fulfil 88 per cent need of the petroleum products through imports and the prices are linked with the international market. He said the government has taken adequate measures to ensure transparency in the oil prices and assured the house that there is no fraud being done in this regard by the OCAC.
PML-N’s Tehmina Daultana also wanted to speak on the issue but was not allowed by the speaker, which prompted the opposition to use the option of staging walkout from the National Assembly. The opposition had also staged a walkout earlier when speaker did not allow Nawab Yousaf Talpur to speak on agricultural issue on a point of order. On a point of order, Nawab Yousaf Talpur while referring to the quorum said the speaker should run the business of the house according to the laid down rules and procedures. On these remarks, the speaker asked the opposition MNA not to dictate him while speaking on the floor of the house and switched off the member’s mike.
However, on Nawab Yousaf Talpur’s protest, the speaker allowed him to speak. Talpur drew the attention of the house towards the problems the agriculture sector is facing. The speaker remarked that Talpur wants to say every thing on a point of order leaving all other tools meant for raising such issues in the house, and ruled out the point of order.
Yousuf Talpur reacted to the speaker’s remark and the opposition staged a walkout from the National Assembly. The speaker also reserved his ruling on the issue of not presenting the Islamic Ideological Council (IIC) report in the house for further reviewing the matter.
Speaking on a point of order, MMA legislator Maulana Sherani said that according to the constitution, the Islamic Ideological Council report should be presented before the house after three years but since 2002 no IIC report has been presented.
However, the NA speaker maintained that the report was presented in the house in 1997, but the MMA leader said that he was not talking about 1997 report but about the current report. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Dr Shahzad Wasim told the house that Waziristan’s political administration is making efforts to recover the kidnapped journalist in Mir Ali area of the agency.
Responding a point of order, he said investigations are under way to establish the facts about his kidnapping and a report in this regard would be presented in the house. Responding to a calling attention notice regarding non-awarding of degrees to the students of the OPF Girl’s College, Minister for Labour and Manpower Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that process is under way for getting affiliation of the OPF Girls College, Islamabad, with Balochistan University, Quetta, for awarding them degrees. He said the college signed affiliations with various institutions in the past, which were terminated, and no other university in Islamabad or Punjab showed their willingness to accept the college affiliation with it.
-The News International
posted by zaicha | Saturday, December 10, 2005
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