Increase in POL products' prices: National Assembly committee to review decision

A National Assembly's committee, to be constituted by the speaker, will review the government's recent decision of increasing petroleum products' prices and submit its report within a week.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday recommended to Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Kareem Kundi to constitute a committee of the House, which will be assisted by Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, to review the government's decision regarding the recent increase in petroleum products' prices.
The House also adopted a unanimous resolution moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Ahsan Iqbal, which was signed by 20 MNAs of various political parties sitting in the parliament, seeking reversal of government's decision to increase oil prices.
The resolution stated that government should reverse the decision to increase prices of petroleum products, as it would increase inflation. It recommended that a committee should be set up over the issue, which will present its findings within a week.
Earlier, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan urged the government to withdraw the decision. "When the government is at stake, the rulers backtrack and now they should also show flexibility for adopting the resolution," he added.
He offered the government conditional support for passing 20th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which is aimed at giving constitutional cover to the by-elections held under an incomplete Election Commission after 18th amendment. "If government withdraws the hike in oil prices, then opposition will support it in passage of the 20th Constitutional Amendment," he offered.
However‚ Nisar said that his party would support the amendment after getting assurances for constitution of an independent Election Commission‚ appointment of an independent Chief Election Commissioner and formation of impartial caretaker set up for holding next elections. He urged the government for making such legislation, which make the intelligence agencies accountable to the parliament, which, he said, are 'supreme.' He urged the parliamentarians to go to Supreme Court of Pakistan against the killing of four detainees, who were picked up from outside of Adialla Jail by agencies and later were killed.
He criticised the army for not confining itself to its basic duty of defending the country, adding that as a chairman Public Accounts Committee he made three retired generals accountable for embezzlements in NLC and General Kayani assured him of taking action against them. Khawaja Saad Rafique also supported Nisar and said they would also go to the Supreme Court with him against the extra judicial killing of the four youths.
He bashed the government for its failure in bringing accountability bill in the parliament, which has been pending in NA Standing Committee on Law and Justice for the last three years.
Former Federal Minister Mir Humayon Aziz Kurd showed concerns over killings of people in Balochistan. "The problem of Balochistan can't be resolved by deploying military, FC or intelligence agencies. It needs an amicable solution," he added. He said that hatred against army was spreading in Balochistan. He also expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of a parliamentary committee headed by Syed Khurshid Ali Shah over Balochistan issue. The session was adjourned till Friday after the approval of the resolution.