PTI member criticises own govt in NA over pricehike

By Muhammad Anis
September 17, 2019

ISLAMABAD: The members from the treasury benches in the National Assembly on Monday were taken by surprise when one of their colleagues from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) threatened to resign from membership of the House if his voice against pricehike and inflation goes unheard.

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“I will resign and even I am ready to sacrifice this seat for 10 times if I am stopped from speaking for problems of the common man and against increasing prices of gas, electricity, roti and essential commodities,” Noor Alam Khan, who was elected on PTI ticket from Peshawar, said.

Continuing to criticise pricehike, the PTI parliamentarian, amid thumping of desks from opposition members, also send curse on those who do not raise voice against pricehike. “I curse those who do not raise voice for people and against pricehike,” he said.

Noor Alam Khan, who switched over to PTI from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) prior to the 2018 general elections, also asked Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was chairing proceedings, to call adviser on finance to the House to tell as to why prices of urea fertilisers, gas, electricity and roti have been increased. The PTI member father said the advisor on finance should also apprise the House as to what details have been finalised with the IMF while increasing prices of gas, electricity and other commodities.

Noor Alam Khan also criticised the way the incumbent government was carrying out the accountability process. “The government should execute the accountability process in the right direction or stop it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the PPP parliamentarian Shazia Marri speaking on a point of order demanded issuance of production orders of detained parliamentarians.

“For the time being, I am not registering protest but humbly requesting you to issue production orders of detained members so that they can represent their voters in the House,” she said.

The opposition members also protested remarks from Minister for Communication Murad Saeed when he said the people who did more corruption would get more punishment.

“Those doing corruption will be punished. Those who did more corruption will get more punishment,” Murad Saeed said.

Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Finance Asad Umar laid the reports of the committee on the bill to further amend the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 (The Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2019).

Syed Naveed Qamar, member of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice, presented the report of the committee on the bill to provide for an efficacious and speedy mechanism for issuance of Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates (The Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Bill, 2019).

He also presented the report of the standing committee on the bill to provide for the establishment of a Legal Aid and Justice Authority (The Legal Aid and Justice Authority Bill, 2019).

Member of the Standing Committee on Finance, presented the report of the committee on the bill further to amend the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2019). Meanwhile, the National Assembly was informed that an agreement for the upgradation of ML-1, the main railway track from Karachi to Peshawar, would be signed next month.

“It will be for the first time since the year 1861 that the ML-1 is being upgraded,” Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid said during the question hour.

He told the House that the upgradation of the rail track will be started from Sindh. He said it is the first government which started four trains in Sindh.

Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Farrukh Habib told the House that the revenue of Pakistan Railways has been enhanced to Rs54.50 billion during the present government’s tenure. He said that the deficit of Pakistan Railways has decreased to Rs32.76 billion from Rs36.62 billion last year.

The parliamentary secretary said Pakistan Railways started 24 new passenger trains and freight trains increased to 12 over the last one year. He said that Rs6 million has been provided to carriage factory to repair the old coaches. He said that introduction of EFI locomotives and trains tracking system has contributed in reducing the fuel consumption of the Railways.

Farrukh Habib said that the government has plans to upgrade the factories and workshops of Pakistan Railways. He said facilities are also been upgraded at the railways stations.

Parliamentary Secretary for Water Resources Saleh Muhammad told the house that Mohmand Dam hydropower project will be completed by 2024. He said this project will help generate 800 megawatts electricity.

Responding to a point of order by Raja Riaz, Murad Saeed said that Multan-Sukkur and Lahore-Abdul Hakeem Motorway projects have been completed before time. He clarified that the present government has not increased any toll tax, rather it was the last government which signed 20-year agreement with the FWO for increasing toll tax by 10 percent every year. He said that the revenue of National Highway Authority has increased by over 52 percent under the present government and the Authority is heading towards self-sustainability.

Responding to a call attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Professional Training Wajiha Akram told the House that a process has been started to recruit 700 teachers in the federal capital through the Federal Public Service Commission. She said this process will be completed by December and help improve quality of education in all the schools and colleges of the capital. About regularisation of teachers already working in capital schools, she said this cannot be done without fulfilling codal formalities.

The PTI member Ali Nawaz Awan in his call attention notice talked about problems being faced by parents in getting admissions of their children in government colleges of Islamabad.

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