Opposition members censure ministers; protest levy on petroleum products. PHOTO: APP
The first session of the National Assembly this year witnessed two successive walkouts and protests by opposition parties against the “non-serious” attitude of the ministers towards the grisly school attack in Peshawar last month and the government’s recent move to increase general sales tax (GST) on petroleum products from 17 per cent to 22 per cent.
The events reflected a fragility of consensus among the political parties to chalk out a joint framework to tackle terrorism despite the session being particularly called to ‘legalise’ the National Action Plan (NAP).
Earlier, the chair suspended the question hour and order of the day to debate the Peshawar tragedy, but on a point of order, the PPP and the MQM strongly protested the 5% increase in GST on petroleum products.
Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah lambasted the treasury side over the absence of ministers from the house at the time of debate on the key issue. The criticism continued as Federal Minister Tanveer Ahmed Khan reminded the former of the PPP’s conduct during the five years of their tenure.
Elaborating on the absence of the ministers, Rana Tanveer reminded the house of the meeting at Prime Minister’s House on the NAP. “It is unfair to demand the presence of the interior minister every time in the house since he is too busy in framing the plan,” he said.
Shah, before staging a walkout, suggested adjourning the session and also said it would be better to halt the proceedings if the relevant minister (Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan) does not show up in the house on Friday to take the house into confidence on Peshawar school carnage. One of the government’s key ally from Balochistan, PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Ackakzai endorsed the view and proposed it is better to adjourn the session rather than “talking to the empty seats of the ministers’.
At this moment, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq reminded the house of the burden on the national kitty in view of the possible adjournment. “This would be useless if we don’t run the house at least three to four hours in a day”, he noted.
Earlier, the opposition leader supported the establishment of military courts to deal with terrorism-related cases, but called for amending the Army Act rather than amending the constitution, something which is bound to stir political parties, civil society and rights organisations. Shah also strongly objected to a raise in the GST and termed it an unconstitutional act of the government. “This is not only an anti-people decision, but also an unconstitutional step after a verdict of the apex court about such a decision in the past,” he remarked.
MQM staged a walkout from the session against the imposition of the levy on petroleum products. Rasheed Godil of the party said, “People should not be made to pay the price of inability of tax authorities to generate revenue by netting untaxed sectors’. He criticised those who were reluctant to name the Taliban despite the horrific Peshawar incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2014.
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Remove politicians and appoint ordinary human beings to run the country
The country is facing no matter how many sorts of energy problems and the lawmakers are enjoying so much wastage for nothing Something that needs to be realized and they should conserve some energy in those sessions which often bear no result . Remember charity begins at home