Hike in power tariff, POL prices: Opposition promises ‘chaos’ in Senate session
MQM, PML-Q and ANP submit adjournment motions in upper house of parliament.
After paying new utility bills, a man whose income is less than Rs15,000 cannot afford to send his children to school, says Senator Tahir Hussain Mashadi. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The government is expected to come under scathing criticism from the opposition in the Senate session beginning October 28 over the recent steep increase in electricity tariff and prices of petroleum products.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have submitted adjournment motions seeking debate on the matter of immediate public importance.
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) recently announced a sharp increase in power tariff which was earlier withdrawn by the government after the Supreme Court raised procedural flaws.
“This is an important issue as it affects everybody. After the new utility bills, a man whose monthly income is less than Rs15,000 cannot afford to send his children to school,” said MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mashadi who moved the motion on behalf of his party in the upper house of parliament.
He said the government’s callousness and unfavourable policies had broken the back of the common man. He added that the MQM had a track record of forcing governments to take back such decisions.
“The electricity bills will double but there will be no relief as far as power outages are concerned,” he said, alleging that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf both supported the business community, and avoided bringing businessmen in to the tax net.
PML-Q Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said he and his party chief Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had submitted an adjournment motion in the Senate seeking debate on why the government put the burden on the public at the behest of the IMF.
He said all decisions taken at the dictation of the international lending institutions had proved to be disastrous so far.
“There will be chaos in the house in the coming session,” he said. “We will not let the government go ahead without resolving this issue of public concern.”
He further stated that he had submitted another adjournment motion in the upper house about the Margalla tunnel project which had environmental and security implications.
ANP Senators Haji Adeel and Zahid Khan have also submitted adjournment motions in the Senate seeking debate on the increase in power tariff and prices of petroleum products.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2013.
The government is expected to come under scathing criticism from the opposition in the Senate session beginning October 28 over the recent steep increase in electricity tariff and prices of petroleum products.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have submitted adjournment motions seeking debate on the matter of immediate public importance.
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) recently announced a sharp increase in power tariff which was earlier withdrawn by the government after the Supreme Court raised procedural flaws.
“This is an important issue as it affects everybody. After the new utility bills, a man whose monthly income is less than Rs15,000 cannot afford to send his children to school,” said MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mashadi who moved the motion on behalf of his party in the upper house of parliament.
He said the government’s callousness and unfavourable policies had broken the back of the common man. He added that the MQM had a track record of forcing governments to take back such decisions.
“The electricity bills will double but there will be no relief as far as power outages are concerned,” he said, alleging that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf both supported the business community, and avoided bringing businessmen in to the tax net.
PML-Q Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said he and his party chief Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had submitted an adjournment motion in the Senate seeking debate on why the government put the burden on the public at the behest of the IMF.
He said all decisions taken at the dictation of the international lending institutions had proved to be disastrous so far.
“There will be chaos in the house in the coming session,” he said. “We will not let the government go ahead without resolving this issue of public concern.”
He further stated that he had submitted another adjournment motion in the upper house about the Margalla tunnel project which had environmental and security implications.
ANP Senators Haji Adeel and Zahid Khan have also submitted adjournment motions in the Senate seeking debate on the increase in power tariff and prices of petroleum products.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2013.