Govt under fire in Senate over hiked gas tariff

ISLAMABAD: The government came under fire in the Senate on the opening day of the 282nd session for ‘massive hike’ in gas tariff, as joint opposition questioned its commitment to the Parliament for the decision had been made bypassing the legislature.

Senators alleged that while both Houses of the Parliament had been summoned to meet, in the darkness of night, the government attached no importance to them and resorted to gas tariff increases.

The PML-N Senator Abdul Qayyum sought a clarification from the Prime Minister in the Senate on doubts created by some of his team members with regards to CPEC and also on a recent statement by Kabul-based US ambassador John Bass that Pakistan was considering to open land routes for Indian trade with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics.

On a point of public importance, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman expressed concern over the government’s decision to increase natural gas prices by 143 per cent and said, “this is a dangerous decision coming from a party, whose leaders opposed gas price hikes in the past and always criticised governments when oil, gas and power tariff was revised”.

“Considering how this will affect not only key industries but more importantly, the masses, I find it difficult to understand how the government felt like it could blatantly bypass the Parliament on a decision of this scale while both Houses were in session,” she noted.

Sherry pointed out that the issue regarding how unsustainable the gas prices were had been brought up in past committees but PTI refused to listen. PTI was consistent in lashing out against the same move they pulled only a day before the mini-budget.

“Gas is a basic requirement and changing its price will have effects far and beyond. This is not a decision that the government can unleash on its people overnight,” she asserted.

She said PPP rejected this move and that the government must work towards providing relief to the people, not the opposite. A lofty price hike could not be done on a trial and error basis. “Has the government reviewed their decision thoroughly? Have they considered the consequences and do they have a follow-through policy? If so, we demand that it be presented in the Parliament,” she contended.

“This is a cumulative result of incompetency across the board. We cannot afford to attempt solving a serious problem with an equally problematic solution. I hope that the government starts to respect the Parliament and its mandate going forward. Only then will we be able to frame policies that will have maximum positive outcome for the people and for our severely crippled economy,” she said.

She also sought policy statement in the House from the government on its narrative on Kashmir, Palestine and Rohingya in the upcoming UN General Assembly session, as she said the Prime Minister was probably not going there. She feared the US had already turned the other way and was India’s ally and difficulties for Pakistan were to mount.

Senator Abdul Qayyum alleged that internally the government seemed to be paralysed and confused. “Nation still awaits a clear cut economic policy, as prices of essential items like gas have been increased. The government instead of cutting down the administration expenses is planning to massively slash the PSDP,” he noted.

He said that exposing private interiors of the state buildings, like PM House and Governor Houses on national and international networks was risky from security point of view. About US envoy John Bass statement on Pakistan opening routes for Indian trade, he said that it would be accepted only as a package deal including resolution of Kashmir dispute in a stipulated timeframe for which international guarantees would be a pre-requisite.

Senator Javed Abbasi also grilled the government for dropping price hike bomb on hapless masses despite making tall claims of having a competent team of experts while issuing statements from a container in 2014. “You can’t run a country by selling eight buffaloes and old cars,” he quipped.

PPP’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the government was doing exactly what it had been promising to the nation for years and sought a categorical statement whether or not IMF was being approached, as the donor’s team was arriving in Pakistan towards the end of this month. “While international media is saying Pakistan is going to obtain dollars 9 billion loan, local experts insist the loans size can be around 12 billion,” he said.

Leader of the House Syed Shibli Faraz said the government had inherited the economy in a very bad shape besides the current account deficit, circular debt was also increasing. The gas prices, he noted, were not rationalised by the past governments for political reasons or whatever.

He said they would tell the nation truth even at the political cost and would be addressing basic issues, which had not been addressed in the past and there would be reforms in various sectors.

He said the government had promised to tell the nation truth always but take example of train accident near Jand: no information was issued how it occurred, who was at fault and was the responsibility fixed.

Former Interior Minister PPP Senator Abdul Rehman Malik said the protocol and security should not be mixed up and confused that there must be no compromise on the issue of security of the top government personalities, as none could claim the menace of terrorism had been completely eliminated from Pakistan.

PPP’s Parliamentary leader Dr. Sikandar Mandhro pointed out that as many as 171237 posts in the federal government and its autonomous organisations were currently vacant, almost 18 per cent of the total sanctioned strength of the departments and bodies.