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Demands for grants, appropriation: opposition boycotts
National Assembly
TAHIR AMIN
ISLAMABAD (June 24, 2015) : All the opposition parties on Tuesday boycotted the
National Assembly for by-passing the opposition during the passage of demands for grants and
appropriation for the next financial year and decided to observe country-wide 'black day' against
deaths of nearly 500 people due to heatwave and loadshedding. During the session, Jamshed
Dasti tore down his copy of agenda and threw it in front of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq's rostrum. The
Speaker warned him of action. Some opposition parliamentarians also demanded the
resignation of Federal Minister for Water and Power Khwaja Asif and State Minister Abid Sher
Ali over the ongoing power crisis in the country. Leader of the Opposition Syed Khurshid Ahmad
Shah on a point of order flayed the government on passing the Demands for Grants and
Appropriations for the next financial year at a time when the opposition had staged a walkout,
and condemned it. He urged Prime Minister to confess its inability to solve power crisis before
the nation and seek pardon. Shah said the opposition was ready to come to the House after
staging a token walkout on Monday but he alleged that the government did not take it seriously.
He said the opposition had prepared 1550 cut motions but could not move because they were
protesting on a national issue pertaining to power crisis. He said a number of lives have been
lost due to heat-wave in the country, particularly in Karachi. He said in the presence of
heatwave, long duration of loadshedding has added to the difficulties of the people. He said the
government has not set a good tradition by ignoring opposition in the passage of budget. Power
tariff has been doubled during the last two years, oil prices decreased significantly but
government failed to address the power crisis, Shah said, adding that without pre-audit, Rs 500
billion was paid to clear circular debt. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Shah Mahmood Qureshi
said a requisition would be submitted for the summoning of National Assembly to discuss the
increased loadshedding in hot weather. He said the opposition raised the issue of national
importance, but government was not serious to deal it on priority. He urged Minister for Water
and Power to quit the slot if he is overburdened. He regretted that opposition was not consulted
on most of important legislation. The government tried to bulldoze the opposition with its
majority, said Qureshi, adding that opposition has decided to observe Friday as 'Black day'
across the country. Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) Rashid Godil said 545 deaths were
confirmed across the country while the government was making jokes. He said that it was not a
pro-poor budget but for industrialists, bankers and land developers. Sheikh Rasheed demanded
the resignation of Federal Minister for Water and Power Khwaja Asif and State Minister Abid
Sher Ali over the power crisis in the country. Sahabzada Tariqullah, Aftab Sherparo Mahmood
Khan Achakzai and Ghulam Bilour also spoke on the power crisis. Earlier, Opposition Leader in
the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah chaired a meeting of the opposition parties, which
was attended by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Arif Alvi, Rasheed Godil. The opposition members
decided to stage a walkout from the National Assembly and offer funeral prayers in absentia for
the heatwave victims outside the Parliament House. Khursheed Shah said the government is
responsible for deaths due to heatwave and load shedding in the interior Sindh. Shah said 450
people lost their lives in Karachi alone. "I wish Iftikahr Chauhdry was Chief Justice of Pakistan
at present, he would have taken a suo motu notice," he added. Responding to points raised by
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the opposition Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the government
would welcome if the Parliament evolves a consensus to find out a solution to the power crisis.
"If opposition parties wanted to support us on the electricity issue, we are ready to sit with them
to find out solution of the crisis jointly," minister added. The minister also offered to brief the
National Assembly about the two-year performance of the ministry of water and power. Asif said
he was accountable to National Assembly and the House could question his performance as he
was answerable to parliamentarians. He admitted before the House that people of the country
had endured hardships due to loadshedding in first three days of the Ramazan but now the
position has improved. The Minister said the ministry of water and power had no control over
K-Electric as it is now a privatised entity and the government has no intention to nationalise it.
He said the government had only 26 percent of the K-Electric while private investors had the full
control of it. He said the government had only two members on the board of governor, in the
K-Electric, adding that federal government was providing 650mw to K-Electric keeping in view
the miseries of people. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar stressed the need for resolving the issue of
load-shedding together. Replying to points raised by the Leader of the Opposition and other
opposition members, the Minister suggested let the budget process be completed. We will
continue this session and talk on the issue of power crisis to find a workable solution. He said
the Ministers are ready to explain the entire position. He said they also kept waiting on Monday
for the opposition to enter the House during approval of Demands for Grants for the next
financial year. He said a token walkout means that the opposition will come back in the House
after sometime but unfortunately perhaps due to some misunderstanding they did not return. He
said the government did not take any decision on which the opposition converts its token
walkout into a permanent walkout. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid
said the government wants that the Opposition to come back to the House and play its due role
in the proceedings. He said the Opposition members want to talk on power crisis and for this
purpose they want to requisition the fresh session. He said the Finance Minister offered them to
let continue this session after the budget passage for discussion and finding a solution to
loadshedding. From the outset of the proceedings, the House offered Dua for the departed
souls of those killed in Karachi due to heatwave. Ghaibana Namaz-e-Janaza of the victims of
the heatwave in Karachi was offered in the lawn of Parliament House. A number of
parliamentarians including some federal Ministers participated in the Namaz-e-Janaza and
offered fateha for the departed souls.
Copyright Business Recorder,
2015
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