FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

What has been extremely surprising that both the major political parties, Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) are no longer seemingly interested in the proceedings of the National Assembly after the former ousted the later from Punjab Cabinet.
The question everyone was asking is that would this be an election year and may be the reason behind the question was that both the political parties after parting ways are more vehemently hitting hard each other at the public places instead of Parliament. This was even evident from today's session and warning by Khawaja Saad Rafiq that his party may once again have to come out on the roads for the sake of people because the rulers seem to have deaf and dumb to the call of the people and the Parliament.
Again the attendance in the House was as usual very low on private members day. Yasmeen Rehman of PPP presided over with 33 points agenda of which barely few could be taken up. The best part of the proceedings was exchange of sporadic sarcastic remarks by the members of both the political parties. A hard hitting speech by PML-N Khawaja Saad Rafiq on a point of order created unrest at the ruling benches when he alleged the PPP for caving in to the pressure of International Monetary Fund (IMF) on oil prices.
PPP Farah Naz Isphani put the blame on opposition saying that government was not able to absorb the prices owing to blockage of revenue increase measures by the opposition. She said this was high time to bring the rich generals, politicians including everyone having taxable income into the tax net as it was intolerable for middle class to bear the price hike burden anymore. In the National Assembly one by one all the opposition parties staged walkout for raise in oil prices. While scolding the government was so upsetting for Nadeem Afzal Chand that he also stood up to defend his party. Nadeem held PML-N and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) responsible for the situation by not allowing the government to take revenue generation measures.
Reacting sharply to the oil prices increase, MQM gave deadline of three days to the government either to take the decision back or the party would consider all the available options which may include withdrawal from coalition as well. Pakistan Muslim league (N) members termed the decision as unjust and unfair and equated it with a suicide attack by the government on the people of Pakistan on the behest of IMF.
Sheikh Waqas Akram of PML-Q before leading a walkout of his party also flayed the increase in petroleum prices and was the only member from opposition who suggested for taking taxation measures for bringing the rich into the tax net. This was patiently evident from the mood of opposition and some coalition partners that the government would be facing tough times on the issue and may again be forced to withdraw the decision for its survival.