Opposition parties in the Senate on Thursday rejected the recent increase announced by the government in the petroleum products’ (POL) prices, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of the Opposition in the House Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said that the entire nation was perturbed over the recent hike in prices. “Petrol is now virtually out of the reach of a common man,” he said, and urged the government to improve the tax collection system rather than burdening ordinary people with ‘indirect’ taxes.
He went on to say that increase in the prices of petroleum products had become a routine now, and none could guarantee that the government would not raise them in future. “Therefore, we, the opposition, reject the recent hike in the POL prices,” he stated categorically.
Responding to the opposition leader’s speech, Leader of the House Dr. Shahzad Wasim said there had been exceptional rise in fuel prices in the international market recently. “Only in the last two months, 35 per cent increase was registered,” he said, adding that today oil’s price in the market stood at $93 per barrel.
The government, he claimed, had reduced the levy and cut down the sales tax to zero.
Leader of the House said this was not for the first time that POL prices had increased. “Similar situation existed when PML-N and PPP were in power,” he said, and added, “The day these prices come down in the international market, they will drop here too in Pakistan.”
The Senate also passed the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Amendment Bill with consensus.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan had tabled the bill in the House.
The Senate also unanimously passed OGRA’s Second Amendment Bill.
Journalists boycott Senate session
Journalists on Thursday boycotted the Senate session convened by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
The journalists walked out of the upper house in protest against the arrest of senior journalist Mohsin Baig, torture of anchorperson Iqrarul Hassan, and closure of a private TV channel.
Reporter Kifayat Ali Shah