Resolution passes: Joint charge on fuel price puts govt on back foot

PML-Q, MQM, ANP and parliamentarians from the tribal regions all agreed that the price increase must be taken back.

ISLAMABAD:

Fuel prices is the incumbent government’s Achilles’ heel – it managed, yet again, to bring the opposition and the allied parties together, a feat even the notorious Memogate could not achieve.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday promised to look into the prospect of lowering petroleum prices after the National Assembly unanimously passed an opposition-proposed resolution seeking an immediate withdrawal of the recent price hike.

The commitment was largely vague though.

“I will talk to the finance minister … and probably a committee might discuss the matter,” Gilani said.

In its monthly review for February, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) increased fuel prices by up to 6%, triggering widespread public anger and a hostile reaction from political parties, including those allied with the government.

Cornering the govt

Moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Ahsan Iqbal, the resolution called upon the government to review the recent hike in the price of petroleum products, and demanded the formulation of a parliamentary committee to reassess the existing pricing formula.

Iqbal said the opposition had prepared the draft in consultation with the government’s allied parties.

Legislators from the PML-Q, MQM, ANP and parliamentarians from the tribal regions – all allied with the government – agreed that the price increase must be taken back.

Once lawmakers from government’s allied parties put their weight behind the resolution, parliamentarians from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, who had been justifying the raise earlier, had no option but to support it.

Earlier on Wednesday, the National Assembly witnessed back-to-back walkouts, by members of the opposition and the allied MQM.

“The government is fleecing the poorest of the poor through the petroleum levy,” said Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. He urged the government to take back the “cruel tax,” adding that the resolution indicated that the petroleum ministry has “failed to deliver.”

Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain was quick to respond to Nisar’s remarks. He said his ministry is neither responsible, nor empowered to fix the price of petroleum products. This was the prerogative of Ogra, he added.

In a fiery salvo, Nisar asked the prime minister to summon the Director General Inter-Services Intelligence to parliament to explain the circumstances leading to death of four civilians arrested under army act. He was speaking on the death of four of the 11 civilians picked up over a year ago by intelligence agencies, in connection with attacks on the General Headquarters.

“If you are an elected and powerful prime minister, use your discretionary powers and take action against uniformed men who are responsible for this heinous crime,” Nisar said.

Gilani, however, attempted to play down the issue, and said he wouldn’t comment on the matter since it was sub judice in the Supreme Court.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2012.