Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The country’s lawmakers heavily criticised the government on Saturday over a recent hike in petrol prices, among other national issues, during a session of the National Assembly.
In the session of the Lower House of the parliament, PML-N MNA Khurram Dastgir said that in the history of the country, petrol prices were never increased by 34%.
“The government is becoming a facilitator of mafias,” he criticized, saying that he can sense that the government benches are in a state of ‘fear’.
Describing other national issues, the PML-N lawmaker said that the culprits of the Sahiwal incident, where members of a family were killed in cold blood, did not receive any punishment.
Speaking on the issue of the sugar crisis, he said that the Federal Investigation Agency said that the prices of sugar rose after permission for exports was granted.
PPP lawmaker Abdul Qadir Patel addressing the House, saying that the FIA should probe who hoarded up petrol reserves, which exacerbated the national fuel crisis. “The FIA should investigate who is behind this mafia and who is getting a cut out of it,” he said.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub said that the government will mirror the trend in the global oil market. Omar said that prices of petroleum products in Pakistan are lowest in South Asia despite the recent increase in their prices.
He said that the price of petrol has increased by 112 per cent over the last 46 days in the international oil market. “The price of OPEC basket has increased by 46 per cent last month,” the minister added. The minister said that the present government passed on the benefit of reduction in international oil prices to the consumers.
“We will move forward as per the ups and downs in the international oil market,” Minister said.
“Our focus is now on bringing improvement in the distribution and transmission system,” he said. “We are now pursuing clean and green projects in the energy sector.” Winding up discussion on the cut motions, Minister for Industries and Production Azhar said the government will frame new auto policy next year after the expiry of the existing one.
