Hike in POL, gas prices: Kundi blocks resolution seeking reversal

Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi blocked a combined effort by the opposition and some allied parties of the government to table a resolution in the National Assembly, seeking reversal of the decision to increase petroleum products' prices and gas tariff.
The chair abruptly adjourned the session for Thursday evening when a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Ahsan Iqbal sought permission to move a joint resolution, which was set to sail through the National Assembly, as some PPP lawmakers had also supported and signed the resolution.
The resolution proposed by PML-N was signed by lawmakers from various political parties both from the treasury and opposition including Ahsan Iqbal, Mahtab Abbasi, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Saad Rafiq, Rana Tanveer of PML-N, Aftab Aahmed Khan Sherpao from PPP-Sherpao, Mufti Kafait from JUI-F, Wasim Akhtar from MQM, Talib Hassan Nakai from PML-Q, Bushra Gohar from ANP, Nawab Yusuf Talpur and Zafar Ali Shah from PPP and others as movers.
The resolution states, "This house is of the view that the increase in the prices of petroleum products made by the government should be withdrawn immediately, as it will have serious impact on common man by increasing inflation in the country".
However, the house was adjourned abruptly that thwarted the opposition move to table the resolution which was signed by even some ruling PPP members.
Earlier, the House witnessed two separate walks out-one by the PPP's coalition partner MQM and the second by PML-N, which was also joined by lawmakers belonging to PPP-Sherpao and members from PML-Q like-minded
"It was decided that the coalition partners would be taken on board on the issue of oil prices but the decision was taken without consulting the allies," said MQM lawmaker Wasim Akhtar, who led the walk out of his parties' members from the House.
Meanwhile, speaking on a point of order before staging protest walkout along with other opposition parties, Ahsan Iqbal strongly criticised the government for increase in POL prices. "We feel the government is hell bent to push the country's economy towards bankruptcy under a pre-planned design," Iqbal alleged.
He also appealed to the coalition partners of PPP to support the opposition's resolution and ask the government to reverse the increase in POL prices. He was of the view that the entire nation was in a state of shock with huge increase in the prices of diesel and petrol, which he said was contrary to the summary sent by OGRA.
He pointed out that during the tenure of the incumbent government, over a 1000 notifications of the OGRA were issued and most of them related to increase in POL prices.
PML-Q's Sardar Talib Nakai, who is also chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, strongly condemned the increase in POL prices on behalf of the party and the panel as well. "I think the government has dropped a 'bomb' on the poor masses by increasing the petroleum products' prices," he said, adding that he has been unanimously mandated by the standing committee to raise the matter in the House and press the government to reverse the decision.
He also questioned the statement by Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources revealing the increase in oil prices five days before the issuance of the notification. "I would like to ask the minister that under what capacity he gave the statement when it does not fall under his jurisdiction," he questioned.
NP's lawmaker Bushar Gohar while speaking on a point of order said that her party's chief Asfandyar Wali had proposed to constitute a committee of the House to deliberate upon either to reverse or make some cut in the recent increase in the POL prices.