Daily Times

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) own Member of National Assembly (MNA) Noor Alam Khan lambasted the government over massive price hike that had broken the back of the poor and regretted that no one in the assembly was speaking about it.

Speaking on a point of order, Noor Alam Khan said that though the petroleum products were imported and its price rise makes some sense, why the local products’ prices were increased so much. He questioned why the prices of power, gas, bread, pulses and other daily useable items were increased. The PTI MNA complained that adviser to PM on finance could not come to the House to explain, and asked the deputy speaker to call him and explain the reasons of massive price hike. He also questioned how a person having Rs 12000 per month earning would adjust his budget. Noor Alam Khan warned to resign if the House, particularly the government, remained silent over price hike. Not a single step had been taken for welfare of a poor person, he said. He also advised the government to carry on real accountability across the board since 1947 or even earlier but stop the current arrest process of only few targeted people. If someone did any corruption, he/she should be booked according to the law and exemplary punishment be given, he said.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Professional Training Wajiha Akram told the House that a process had been started to recruit seven hundred teachers in the federal capital through the Federal Public Service Commission. She said this process would be completed by December, and would help improve quality of education in all the schools and colleges of the capital. About regularisation of teachers already working in the capital’s schools, she said this could not be done without fulfilling the codal formalities.

Earlier, the House was informed that an agreement for the upgradation of ML-1 railway track from Karachi to Peshawar would be signed next month. Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed told the House during the question hour that the upgradation of the rail track would be started from Sindh. He said it was the first government that started four trains in Sindh.

Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Farrukh Habib told the House that the revenue of the Pakistan Railways had increased to Rs 54.50 billion under the present government. He said that the deficit of Pakistan Railways had also decreased to Rs 32.76 billion from Rs 36.62 billion last year. The parliamentary secretary said that the Pakistan Railways had started 24 new passenger trains and the freight trains increased to 12 over the last one year.

He said that Rs 6 million had been provided to the Carriage Factory to repair the old coaches. He said that introduction of EFI locomotives and trains tracking system had contributed to reducing the fuel consumption.

He also said that the government had plans to upgrade the factories and workshops of the Pakistan Railways. He said facilities were also been upgraded at the railway stations.