Price hike: Opposition seeks PA session to discuss policies

PPP workers protest in front of Lahore Press Club.

LAHORE:

The opposition parties on Friday demanded an assembly session to discuss the hike in the prices of gas, petroleum and electricity.

Leader of the Opposition Mian Mehmoodul Rashid also addressed a press conference in front of the Assembly chambers.

He said that if the government did not call an assembly session soon, the opposition would hold a public meeting on the steps of the assembly on October 7 to protest against the government’s economic policies.  He said an opposition member would be designated chairman of the ‘assembly’. He said the opposition would extend an invitation to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to participate in the meeting.

He condemned the government’s decision to privatise the Pakistan International Airlines and 30 other state-owned organisations.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was represented by Sardar Shahbuddin and Khurram Jahangir Wattoo. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) was represented by Waqas Hassan Moakkal. Jamaat-i-Islami’s Waseem Akhtar also participated in the conference.

Rashid, who represents the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), said the government had failed to provide essential commodities and services to the common man. He said the PML-N’s district coordination committees were planning to rig local government elections.

Wattoo said PML-N was trying to pay off IMF loans but had shown no consideration for the plight of the poor.

Later, senior PPP leaders Shaukat Basra, Aitezaz Ahsan, Chaudhry Manzoor, and Samina Khalid Ghurki led a protest demonstration in front the Lahore Press Club.

Over three dozen party workers participated in the protest and chanted slogans against the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.