ISLAMABAD, May 13: PPP’s Naveed Qamar quietly stepped into the finance minister’s shoes on Tuesday after the collapse of the coalition cabinet to face an outcry in the Senate against one of the country’s most painful price hikes.

Members from both the opposition and treasury benches complained the new government had done little to check the rocketing prices of food and other necessities in the 43 days of its life, with calls for urgent action to reverse the trend and suggestions like price control on food, rationing of motor fuel, cutting down travel and other expenses of government functionaries.

Although no immediate replacements were made for nine ministers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who handed their resignations on Tuesday to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in a row over the planned reinstatement of deposed superior court judges, Privatisation Minister Naveed Qamar took the seat of outgoing Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the Senate to listen and respond to a bitter debate over the price hike.

While opposition senators said the price hike that started under the previous government grew most after the new government took

office at the end of March, some from the two smaller parties allied with the PPP in the ruling coalition engaged in some self-criticism accusing the coalition government of failing to address the issue, before the debate was adjourned until 9.30am on Wednesday to be wound up by Mr Qamar.

Babar Ghori of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement said the prevailing economic situation had forced many investors to transfer their capital abroad and called for urgent remedial action by the government.

Haroon Akhtar Khan of the formerly ruling Pakistan Muslim League was most worried by a sharp fall of the rupee even against a falling dollar and said depressing statements about the state of the economy by Mr Dar had shattered the confidence of investors.Mohammad Azam Swati of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) called for the creation of a regulatory authority to create an equilibrium between supply and demand.

Abdul Rahim Mandokhel of the Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awami Party pleaded for a planned economy with a strong public sector and official fixation of prices of essential commodities to be enforced by local governments.

Anisazeb Tahirkheli of the PPP-S proposed the introduction of new land reforms and cooperative farming and the building of new water reservoirs wherever possible.

In a passionate speech, JUI’s Kamran Murtaza ridiculed recent trips to Dubai and London by top PPP and PML-N leaders in attempts to settle their differences over the reinstatement of judges sacked under President Pervez Musharraf’s controversial Nov 3, 2007 emergency while people suffered the agony of high prices and wondered whether the mandate given by the people to election-winning parties was intact.

Haji Mohammad Adeel of the Awami National Party blamed the previous government for the present state of affairs and suggested the government freeze the salaries and allowances of top-grade government employees as well as ministers and members of assemblies for five years and ban import of new cars for official use for three years and purchase of new furniture and other fittings for the houses of ministers and high officials for five years.