LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly echoed with the slogans against the increase in oil prices as the opposition and treasury members engaged in a slogan match against each other on Friday.

Proceedings of the session began after a delay of over two hours from its scheduled time and presided over by Panel of Chairman Mian Shafi.

Soon after, the PPP’s Hassan Murtaza took the floor on a point of order and criticised the PTI government for raising oil prices on a fortnightly basis, adding to the misery of people.

He chided the official stance that petroleum products in the country were cheaper than in other countries and asked if the government also compared incomes of Pakistanis with the people of other countries.

Mr Murtaza claimed that oil prices were on the decline in the world but the PTI government was hiking them in the local government under a conspiracy to defame democratic institutions.

Opp walks out after lambasting PTI govt

Criticising the oil-price hike, the PML-N’s Rana Mashhood termed it the blackest day in the history of the country. Reminding the Treasury members of their leader’s statement that only a ‘thief’ prime minister would increase petrol prices, he referred to new hike, saying as now ‘chief of thieves’ was ruling the country, the prices were being raised every fortnight.

His comments irked the Treasury members who began chanting slogans against the opposition leadership. The opposition responded before walking out of the house as a protest against the increase in oil prices.

Taking the floor, Prosecution Minister Chaudhry Zaheeruddin criticised the opposition parties for not introducing democracy in their ranks by avoiding elections to various offices. He claimed that oil prices in the local market were less than in other countries of the region.

In the meantime, Rana Mashhood pointed out the lack of quorum. The chair ordered ringing of bells for five minutes and then prorogued the proceedings sine die when the minimum required presence of 94 legislators could not be maintained.

Shehbaz: PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has criticised the government for increase in petrol and LPG prices and demanded their withdrawal.

In a statement issued here on Friday, he reminded Prime Minister Imran Khan of the latter’s resolve during opposition days that he would commit suicide rather than going to the IMF for loan, and said Mr Niazi did approach the international lending agency without committing suicide and forced the masses to commit suicides.

The opposition leader in the National Assembly said that on one hand the US dollar was having a free flight and, on the other, the government was slitting throat as well as picking pockets of the people with the ‘inflation knife’. He said the ‘cruel’ rulers who had been promising the people petrol at Rs46 per liter, were now squeezing the masses through rapidly increasing petrol prices.

He said the inflation could be controlled by getting rid of the rulers behind it. He said an increase in the prices of petroleum products meant enhancing the rates of wheat flour, sugar, electricity, gas and other essentials, and argued that the inflation meant the government had presented a bogus budget three months ago.

PPP: The PPP staged a rally outside the press club here on Friday in protest at increase in the prices of petroleum products.

It was led by Hassan Murtaza, Shehzad Cheema, Chaudhry Aslam Gill and Azizur Rehman Chan.

The participants were carrying placards inscribed with slogans rejecting the oil-price hike. They were also joined by the Awami Rickshaw Union members along with their three-wheelers.

They chanted slogans against the PTI government and reminded promises of Prime Minister Imran Khan that if voted to power, he would cut the prices abolishing all taxes and levies on the petroleum products.

They pledged to build a protest campaign if the government did not withdraw the hike.

Also, Mr Murtaza visited the protest camp of the federal government employees sacked on Supreme Court orders.

He said sacking 17,000 government servants with just a stroke of pen was not understandable. He said the PPP would stand by the victims of the court verdict.

Federal Union of Journalists and Club leaders also showed their solidarity with the sacked employees.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2021