Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah on Tuesday claimed that there was a kingdom in the country and record taxes were imposed on POL prices just to meet revenue targets.

This was an injustice with the country’s poor. He questioned what sort of democracy and constitution were implemented in the country. The rulers totally forget the poor and only concentrate on the Orange Line Project. Speaking in the National Assembly, Khurshid Shah lashed out at the federation and said that elimination of load shedding and unemployment was only seen in advertisements; however, no practical step has been taken so far.

He also warned the government to stop accomplishing targets by affecting poverty-affected people. The country should develop but could not slaughter people in its name. In the history of Pakistan, there was never a higher tax on POL prices, which the current government imposed. Actual price of diesel was Rs36 per litre but in Pakistan, the people purchase it at Rs74 per liter, which he termed an injustice with the people. The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) was criticised for imposing ten percent sales tax while the incumbent government has broken all records of raising tax.

He denounced the government for not giving relief to people by reducing prices of petroleum products keeping in view the decreasing trend at international level. The Opposition leader also said that issues could not be resolved through indecent language and harsh words. He said the Orange Line Train project was underway in Lahore but Jinnah Hospital was lacking necessary equipments and machines.

About Defence Day, Khurshid Shah paid tribute to the martyrdom and Ghazis of 1965 war who valiantly defeated the nefarious designs of the enemy. Though the country celebrated 1965 as Defence Day, the nation should not forget what happened six years later, when the country was broken. Other countries learnt lessons from past mistakes but it was a shame that Pakistan could not do so. Before election, he said every party presented their manifesto for people’s welfare program but after coming to power, they totally neglected it and started imposing more taxes on the people.

Legislators from both treasury and opposition benches paid glowing tribute to the martyred of the 1965 war who had valiantly defeated India. On a point of order, PPP’s Shazia Marri said the sacrifices rendered by the Pakistan armed forces to safeguard the country’s frontiers must be acknowledged. Sheikh Salahuddin of MQM said the sacrifices rendered by the Pakistan Army would be remembered for ever. He said the contribution of Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy was also appreciable. Sahibzada Tariq Ullah of Jamaat-e-Islami said the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army for defence of the motherland could not be forgotten.

He also condemned the hanging of Jamaat-e-Islami members in Bangladesh and said the agreement signed between Pakistan and Bangladesh must be honoured. However, he regretted that the Pakistani government could not take appropriate measures to stop hanging of those people who showed love for Pakistan during 1971 war.

Paying tribute to the armed forces, Capt Muhammad Safdar of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, said, “We salute the martyred of 1965.” He said wars were imposed on Pakistan in 1948 and 1965. India had attacked Pakistan to divert the attention of the world from the Kashmir issue at that time. He said services of the Pakistan Army for the motherland would be remembered forever. He said the ‘Canadian Maulvi’, who used to come on a bicycle to Ittefaq Foundry Masjid, should be asked from where he had earned billions of rupees. He said no one would be allowed to derail democracy in the country.

Siraj Muhammad Khan said the way Pakistan Army had responded to the Indian attack on September 6, 1965 was historic. PPP’s Fehmida Mirza said the Pakistan Army’s sacrifices for the motherland would be remembered forever.