Fahmida for MPs to collectively pull country out of crises

Federal minister assures her parliament will have an in-camera session on TTP talks

ISLAMABAD:

GDA MNA Dr Fahmida Mirza on Thursday stressed the need for all lawmakers to sit together and think of a way to pull the country out of its prevailing crises.

“The middle class is disappearing, and most edibles, including cooking oil, are imported,” Fahmida added, while speaking in the National Assembly sitting presided over by speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf.

The GDA MNA further claimed that institutions were becoming controversial and the NA had become ineffective without a strong opposition.

Fahmida recently came under fire on social media after pictures of her cutting the cake of PPP chairperson and former premier Benazir Bhutto, birth anniversary along with the NA speaker and Senator Yousuf Raza Gilani, came to the fore.

The GDA MNA condemned the blasphemous remarks of BJP leaders against Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and said the Muslim world should register their  protest so that no one could dare to commit such a shameful act again.

She said parliamentarians should be given an in-camera briefing about the government talks with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Read Maryam says ‘some time’ needed to take country out of crisis

Federal Minister Dr Israr Tareen told her that all parties were invited to the National Security Committee and Parliament would have an in-camera session in which decisions will be made.

“I assure Dr Fahmida Mirza that any dialogue will be in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan," he added.

PPP MNA Syed Agha Rafiullah said despite all the economic and other challenges, the coalition government had decided to take charge of the government to avoid bankruptcy.

He complained that the PTI MNAs were withdrawing their salaries but not representing their constituencies fairly.

He added that the coalition government was using all its energies to provide relief to common man and avert the negative impacts of the PTI’s “poor” economic policies.

Rafiullah maintained that the PTI had signed “unrealistic and unfavourable” agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by putting behind the interests of Pakistan.

PML-N MNA Darshan Punshi while criticising the PTI’s deal with the IMF claimed that the policies of Imran Khan’s government had made the life of common man miserable.

He added that the PTI government had taken record loans and allowed an increase in the prices of all items being used by the masses.

Punshi claimed that the PTI government had politically victimised the leadership of the PML-N and PPP by framing fake cases against them.

He also highlighted the issue of water shortage for irrigation in Sindh.

Punshi requested the federal and Sindh governments to establish technical schools and colleges in the areas of Ghotki.

MNA Shahida Akhtar Ali of the JUI-F described the budget as “overall good”, however, she demanded more ‘vivid policies’, which might uplift the downtrodden segments of the society.

The JUI-F lawmaker said the import of agricultural products of the country was around $7 billion and there was a need to increase per acre production through modern technology.

She added that agricultural machinery should be exempted from taxes and research should be made for better production through using quality seeds.

Shahida also stressed to promote tourism and IT sectors as the country was lagging behind in these areas.

She demanded privatising  non-profitable organisations so that the national exchequer might be saved.

“Various areas of Balochistan are full of natural resources and proper attention should be made for their exploration,” she added.

(With input from APP)