20th Amendment Bill: 'Opposition support not linked to condition of POL products' prices'

Minister for Information Firdaus Ashiq Awan has said the opposition has not linked approval of 20th Constitutional Amendment from the National Assembly through a consensus vote with latest increase in the prices of petroleum products. A resolution was adopted by the National Assembly on February 2, 2012 to constitute a parliamentary committee to propose suggestions within one week to review and subsequently consider reduction in the prices of oil products lately increased by the government.
Replying to a question at a briefing after the Cabinet meeting here on Tuesday, she said there was no condition of withdrawal of latest increase in oil prices by the opposition for lending support to the passage of 20th Constitutional Amendment with consensus. Awan said a resolution was adopted to constitute a committee to look into the matter and suggest some alternative steps for revenue generation that would be compromised on account of a reduction in oil prices.
The Minister said the government would be able to generate some revenue from increase in oil prices, but the committee was free to suggest some other measures. The Minister neither disclosed names of the members of the committee nor stated anything about the timeframe for submission of proposals to the Parliament by the committee. She did not appear much optimistic about a reduction in petroleum prices.
Meanwhile, a official confided on condition of anonymity that the opposition was not pursuing the matter vigorously. He said it was unlikely that the opposition would take up the issue in the House as forcefully as it took it on the first day of the current session. It may be mentioned that the opposition as well as coalition partners have been critical of the increase in petroleum prices with both Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) staging back-to-back walkouts.