Opposition for allocating more fund to Railways, revamping PO, audit of constitutional institution

ISLAMABAD: The Opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly on Saturday demanded of the government to allocate more funds for revival of railways and Pakistan Post besides audit of accounts of constitutional institutions.

Taking part in the debate over charged expenditures, PPP lawmaker Dr Nafeesa Shah said that the past government inherited debt like the incumbent government.

She said that debt should not be used for point scoring. Nafeesa said that economic slow down, war against terrorism, crippling energy crisis and devastating floods resulted accumulation of huge debt.

Participating in the discussion, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) legislator, Shafqat Mehmood suggested that domestic revenue should be enhanced to retire debt. He said that the finance minister did not elaborate steps to broaden the tax net in his budget speech.

He said that more allocation should be made for complete revival of railway and it should be run on public private partnership. "We have to take innovative steps to put on order railways system in larger interest of the nation and masses," he said.

Shafqat said that ordinary people were using railways for traveling rather than car.

He also called for revamping post offices as it caters mainly the poor.

PPP lawmaker Mir Ejaz Jikhrani said that approval of charged expenditure was mandatory, however, the Assembly should be considered serious and sovereign.

He said the President had also returned all power to this house and alleged that the House was not being taken serious by the government.

Imran Zafar Laghari appreciated the finance minister's speech and said that improvement should be brought in Pakistan Post System and post code mechanism should also be introduced in the country.

He questioned allocation of hefty amount to Election Commission and said that holding local bodies' elections was prime responsibility of the respective provincial governments.

Taking part in the debate, Shaikh Salahudin of MQM said that audit of all the charged expenditure should be made besides revisiting all the expenditures as the people were suffering due to inflation.

He also alleged that Civil Work department was a den of corruption and on ground only 60 per cent fund were being used on all development projects.

Taking part in the debate,Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Sher Akbar Khan said we have not to go for IMF package if the government managed to control corruption.

Muzamil Qureshi suggested the cargo train should immediately be run by taking business community on board.

PTI Arif Alvi said the government should give time frame for Karachi Circular Railway. Pakistan Post should be made more viable to provide more facilities to people living in rural areas, he added.

JUI-F lawmaker Asia Nasir called for public audit of all constitutional institutions and said that these allocations should also be mentioned in Pink books.

She also suggested constituting committee comprising member of National Assembly and Senate to review foreign loans.

Shaikh Rashid Ahmed while taking part in the debate said that the foreign debt has almost doubled during the last five years and the government was paying Rs. 10 billion interest on these loans.

He said that funds were allocated for the ministries which were reduced.

He said that transport mafia was against running of cargo train and suggested that a freight train should be restored immediately.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that more fund should be earmarked for railways to buy new locomotives as it would also help reduce fuel import bill.

He said that in 2008, there were 230 passengers and 96 freight trains running in the country which were now reduced to only 92 and one respectively.

He said that Railways had 515 locomotives in 2008 while currently only 100 locomotives were functioning.

MQM Khawaja Shoail Mansoor said that agreement between the government and IMF should be brought to the parliament.

He said that major chunk of revenue was being used to retire debt and added what steps were being taken to repay these loans.

He said that in the world, railways earns from only freight service rather than passengers. He said that transport mafia was busy to flop railways and suggested that Afghan Transit Trade should only be allowed through railways.

He said leasing of precious railways land should also be used for reviving of railways.

Member from FATA Shah Jee Gul said that duty should also be withdrawn on hybrid cars.

Hamidul Haq said that Frontier Works Organization (FWO) had occupied all the toll plazes and toll tax was also being collected by FWO.

PTI lawmaker Sheheryar Afridi said that more fund should be earmarked for railways.

Naveed Qamar said that although charged expenditure could not voted. However, he called for setting up a commission to investigate alleged rigging in the elections.