Daily Times

The opposition in Punjab Assembly grilled the government during the general debate on Price Control in the House on Thursday. As per the agenda of Thursday, general debate on Price Control was already scheduled during the government business.

The session of Punjab Assembly started with a delay of more than an hour from its scheduled time with Mian Muhammad Shafi in the chair. Minister for Higher Education Department Raja Yasir Hamayun gave answers of lawmakers’ queries during the question-hour.

Taking part in the general debate, PPP’s parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza came down hard on the government for failing to control the prices in the country.

Taking jibe at the Prime Minister, PPP’s leader said that the prices of commodities further increase whenever the PM takes notice of price hike. “The sugar price increased from 45 to 90 rupees per kilogram and there was 500 % increase in the price of medicines after PM’s notice,” said PPP’s leader. He further added that the flour bag’s price increased from 700 to 1100 while government gave benefit to mafia by increasing the petrol price by 25 rupees per liter.

He was of the view that Jehangir Khan Tareen was used by PTI for five years and then the PTI-led government helped him in fleeing from Pakistan. MPAs of PTI chanted slogans against the PPP leader to disrupt his speech.

PML-N’s lawmaker Saba Sadiq asked the Chief Minister to resign as she said that the CM failed to give any relief to the masses. She was of the view that the prices of flour, sugar and cooking oil increased in recent days at the utility stores that are being run by the government itself.

Treasury MPA Uzma Kardar, while responding to PPP leader, said that those who are talking about Sindh could not satisfy the country’s top court on wheat theft. She was of the view that PTI government gave subsidies to the people while previous rulers were only busy in making properties outside the Pakistan.

Earlier, PPP’s MPA Syed Ali Haider Gillani questioned establishing the South Punjab Secretariat at Bahawalpur and urged the government to clear the picture whether it is being established in Multan or in Bahawalpur. Speaking on a point of order, Gillani expressed his displeasure adding it is tantamount to deprive the MPAs and masses of Multan if South Punjab’s secretariat is established in Bahawalpur. It is like unrest situation amongst people so the government should make clear about where the secretariat will actually be established, he added.

“Where the Additional Chief Secretary and IG will sit. Law Minister should clear it,” Gillani said. Law Minister Raja Basharat said that the House will be informed in this regard soon.

Concluding the general debate on price control, Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal said that both the PML-N and PPP had been in the power since long time so what they had done for poor masses. It is the result of their flawed policies that ruined the country.

The previous regimes had been involved in making properties abroad, enjoying on public money, creating corruption mafia and now on what ground they are asking about the country’s economy, asked Aslam Iqbal.

Earlier, during the question-hour, higher education minister Yasir Hamayun admitted that the vacancies of the teachers are lying vacant in public sector colleges. He said the vacant seats could not be filled due to non-availability of the funds. The session was later adjourned to meet again on Friday morning.