Friends, foes assail govt over oil prices

The unpopular price increase proved a perfect choice to the detractors to flog the government and win popular support for their parties. - File Photo ISLAMABAD: Both foes and friends assailed the government in the National Assembly on Tuesday for the latest increase in petroleum prices, but preferred little more than token walkouts, separately. The MNAs had an opportunity to raise any subject and speak their hearts out on points of order as it was a private members' day. And the unpopular price increase proved a perfect choice to the detractors to flog the government and win popular support for their parties. But there was nothing like the joint action seen after the previous big increase in early January that had forced the government to withdraw its decision. It was PPP's ally, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which fired the first salvo and walked out, leaving two rival opposition parties — the PML-Q and PML-N — to follow suit. The Awami National Party (ANP), PPP's steadfast coalition partner so far, also criticised the price increase, but did not create further embarrassment for the government. Whether the friendly fire from the MQM hurt the government or not, the points raised by its deputy parliamentary leader Haider Abbas Rizvi certainly provided ammunition to others to attack the government. Mr Rizvi asked the government to explain how the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had announced the increase unilaterally, recalling that the prime minister had given an assurance in January that Ogra would consult a parliamentary committee before making such a move. The MQM was also critical of the fact that it had not been consulted on the issue "although we, unlike the PML-N, have not closed our doors on political dialogue over economic problems". The MQM, Mr Rizvi said, had proposed in its dialogue with the government, levying of direct taxes and taxing untaxed sectors like income from agriculture, feudals and big industrialists. He set a three-day deadline for the government to withdraw the increase, saying that otherwise his party would consider a new strategy that he did not elaborate. Bushra Gohar of the ANP also called for a parliamentary role in petroleum pricing and asked the government to take notice of a "substantive increase in the defence budget and spending on debt servicing". She also lashed out at a recent decision of the interior ministry making it compulsory for artistes to obtain a no-objection certificate from the government before travelling abroad. "This is an attempt to take us back to the Ziaul Haq era. Revoke this decision or be ready to face our protest," Bushra Gohar said. A PML-Q MNA from Jhang, Sheikh Waqas Akram, admitted that the domestic oil prices were linked to the international market, regretting both the government and politicians had failed to make people understand this phenomenon. He asked the government to prepare a counter-strategy with the support of the opposition parties. The PML-Q members also staged their token walkout after Mr Akram's speech, leaving behind the PML-N as the only party not staging a walkout despite the fact that five of its MNAs, including its chief whip Sheikh Aftab, had already spoken on various issues, including oil prices. Most of the PML-N members spoke about the closure of industries in Faisalabad due to long suspension of gas supply. Realising that the media might have noted this, PML-N's firebrand MNA from Lahore, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, delivered a fiery speech and warned of agitation by his party. "If the voice of parliament is not heard, we will be forced to use our democratic and constitutional right and join the people on the roads. Then the PPP will be responsible for the consequences," said Mr Rafiq. Terming the decision to increase oil prices "unjustified and cruel", he said it was in fact a "suicide attack on the people by the government". Mr Rafiq accused the government of giving importance to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and not to the poor people of the country. Later the PML-N members also staged a token walkout. Law Minister Babar Awan dispelled an impression given by some members in their speeches that Pakistan could face a Libya- or Egypt-like situation, saying that conditions here were different from those in Arab countries. Mr Awan said there had been no democracy in Egypt, Tunisia or Libya even after uprisings because there was no political leadership in those countries. "Have they got democracy after the uprising? We are a democratic country and will not allow a ghost movement," he said, without elaborating. None of the ministers came forward to defend the government on the oil price increase, and it were three PPP back-benchers — Munawar Ali Talpur, Nadeem Afzal Chan and Farahnaz Ispahani — who did the job and accused the opposition of "misleading" the nation. Ms Ispahani said the international oil prices had gone up from $88 to $113 per barrel, affecting the whole world. She, however, supported the demand for imposing taxes on those who could pay. "We need taxes for generals, industrialists and everyone who can pay," she said. Prime Minister Gilani attended the proceedings but did not speak on the issue, although he holds the petroleum portfolio after the recent reduction in the cabinet size. LIBYA: Responding to a call-attention notice from five PML-N members, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, told the house that the government was monitoring the situation in Libya and making efforts to evacuate 18,000 stranded Pakistanis through land and sea routes. Ms Khar said the Pakistani missions in Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt had been asked to make arrangements for the well-being of Pakistanis who were reaching there by road or sea as the air link with Libya had been disconnected. Besides Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), she said, the airlines of many countries had sent their planes to Tripoli and other Libyan cities to airlift people, but they had been denied permission to land. Ms Khar said 354 Pakistanis had returned from Libya on a special Turkish aircraft and more people were expected to return soon. In reply to a question, the minister admitted that a number of stranded Pakistanis did not possess passports or any travel documents, but said this would not be a problem for anyone. After verification, every Pakistani would be brought home at government expense, she said. Ms Khar said the government was in touch with companies which had hired the services of Pakistani labour and a UK-based firm had transported 54 Pakistanis to a nearby border area from where they would be airlifted soon. The assembly will meet again on Wednesday evening.