LAHORE: Marvi Memon, the former MNA of Pakistan Muslim Quaid (PML-Q), has announced to join PML-N today in a press
LAHORE: Former member National Assembly Marvi Memon will announce to join Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on
ISLAMABAD: The lawmakers in National Assembly Tuesday expressed concern about 10 per cent increase in petroleum products and Pakistanis stranded in Libya. Taking up the issues of national importance on the Private Member’’s Day they called upon the government to immediately withdraw the recent increase in petroleum products and take measures for safety of Pakistanis stranded in Libya and other Middle East countries and ensure their immediate return. Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Haider Abbas Rizvi said that masses are concerned about the recent increase in petroleum prices, adding that the parliamentary committee, constituted by the Prime Minister on Petroleum prices, was not consulted before implementation of new petroleum prices. He said MQM realizes the facts that there is budget deficit in the country, the receipts situation is not favourable and the international assistance is not coming in a way as it was pledged. He said the government has initiated dialogue process with political parties to improve the economic situation, adding that PML-N has already parted ways and MQM which is also part of the dialogues would think to review future strategy if the recent increase in petroleum prices is not withdrawn. Rizvi proposed that instead of imposing indirect tax on the masses the government should bring industrial, agricultural and other sectors in tax net so that the burden of price hike might not affect the poor people. PML-N Chief Whip Aftab Sheikh said the increase in petroleum products ultimately affects the prices of basic commodities and exert burden on the poor and middle class. He said the government should seriously review it’’s decision on petroleum products and improve good governance and strengthen the institutions like PIA, Railways, Steel Mills so that unfavourable decisions like petroleum prices could be avoided. He pointed out that many Pakistanis are stranded in Libya and living miserable life due to unrest in the country. He said the foreign office should take immediate step for protection and security of overseas Pakistanis in Middle East and ensure immediate return of Pakistanis from Libya. FATA parliamentarian Zafar Baig Bhittani was also concerned about new petroleum prices and said that the recent increase would create difficulties for the government. He said the Prime Minister announced writing off agricultural loans along with other privileges for displaced persons of Swat and Malakand, adding that similar announcement was also made for FATA IDPs but unfortunately the agriculture loans of FATA IDPs have yet been not waived off. ANP parliamentarian Bushra Gohar termed recent increase in petroleum prices as unjustified and demanded it immediate withdrawal. She also demanded revoking the compulsion of getting NoC by artists, students and journalists from Interior Ministry before going abroad. Tahira Orangzeb drew the attention of the House towards Pakistanis stuck in Libya and said the foreign ministry should appoint a competent official as ambassador to Libya. PML-Q leader Sheikh Waqas Akram asid the government should bring all the people under tax net and should not allow relaxation to any one. He said the government should decrease petroleum prices as well as keep a check on prices of other basic commodities to give relief to common man. PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafiq also criticized the increase in petroleum products and said that it would result in unfavourable circumstances in the country, adding that unemployment is already increasing day by day due to load-shedding of gas and closure of industries. The price hike of petroleum products would further aggravate the situation, he feared. Marvi Memon also supported decrase in petroleum prices and called for cut on non-development expenditures of the government. Farrah Naz Isphani said the government constituted a parliamentary committee on petroleum products but no one was interested to attend the committee meetings for resolution of people’’s problems. She invited members of the committee to come and raise the issue regarding hike of petroleum prices in the concerned committee. She said the government has dealt with terrorism, weak economy with conceret measures and the situation is visible improving. She said the nation needs payment of taxes for better economy and prosperity of the people. Nadeem Afzal Godail said criticism for the sake of criticism is only wastage of time and the House should discuss issues in a positive manner for redressal of people’’s problems. He pointed out that a number of politicians in Punjab do not pay taxes, adding that such kind of issues should also be discussed in the House. (APP)
ISLAMABAD: The 3rd meeting of the Flood Commission constituted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Constitution Petition No.62/2010 titled Marvi Memon vs Federation of Pakistan etc was held in …
MULTAN: Pakistan Muslim League-Q leader Marvi Memon has said his party does not do opposition that is in any way sweet, for ‘we only offer a tough opposition’ and if anyone finds it offending he/she should mend his/her ways. “We had left a beautiful tradition but they came and destroyed it all,” she claimed while addressing workers of her party. She asserted that there will be no compromise on corruption and bad governance. “Media has only held mirror to their deeds … they should improve their ways while there is still time,” she added.
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly on Wednesday approved 165 Demands for Grants out of total 183, worth Rs 1.481 trillion to meet the expenditures during year ending on June 30, 2011. The House also rejected 274 cut motions of the opposition members with a majority voice vote to give effect to the demands for various important divisions. These divisions include Cabinet division, Commerce, Communications, Culture, Defence, Defence Production, Economic Affairs, Education, Environment, Finance, Planning and Development, Food and Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Health, Housing and Works, Human Rights, Industries and Production, Information and Broadcasting, Information Technology, Inter-Provincial Coordination, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Labor and Manpower, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Livestock and dairy Development, Local Government and Rural Development, Minorities Affairs, Narcotics Control, National Assembly, Senate, Overseas Pakistanis, Population Welfare, Ports and Shipping, Postal Services, Religious Affairs, Scientific and Technological Research, Social Welfare and Special Education, Special Initiatives, Sports, State and Frontier Regions, FATA, Textile Industry, Tourism, Women Development as well as development expenditure and capital layout for certain other divisions. Out of these divisions, there have been cut motions only on Cabinet division and Industries and production division. Maximum cut motions (213 out of 274) were on Demands for Grants for Cabinet Division as members criticized performance of various departments working under the Cabinet division and remaining 61 motions were on Demands for Grants for Industries and Production division. The members Rana Tanvir, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Tahira Aurangzeb, Zahid Hamid, Anousha Rehman, Sardar Shah Jehan Yousaf, Attiya Inayatullah, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Khurram Dastgir, Bushra Rehman, Malik Abrar, Raza Hayat Hiraj, Khawaja Asif, Pervez Malik, Shireen Arshad, Marvi Memon, Chaudhry Saud Majeed, Sabeen Rizvi, Naseer Bhutta, Junaid Chaudhry and Khalida Mansoor spoke on cut motions and criticized performance of various departments working under the Cabinet division. Capital Development Authority, National Accountability Bureau, Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, OGRA, NEPRA, Pakistan Steel, Accountability Law, corruption, price hike and petroleum prices had been the focus of discussion of these members. These members took serious note of poor performance and claimed rampant corruption in Pakistan Steel and some other divisions. Responding to their charges, Advisor to Prime Minister Nawabzada Ghazanfar Gul and Minister for Industries and Production, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani defended the allocations referring to various government initiatives for revival of industries and improving performance of various divisions despite severe economic crisis. Mentioning to details, the House adopted 142 Demands for Grants worth Rs 1.383 trillion for various divisions in the pre-lunch session as there were no cut motions on these demands. In the post lunch session, the House adopted 19 Demands for Grants worth Rs 93.333 billion for the Cabinet division and attached departments, rejecting 213 cut motions by the opposition members. After that the House adopted four Demands for Grants worth Rs 3.787 billion for Industries and Production division, rejecting 61 cut motions by the opposition members. The House proceedings have been smooth except a token walkout by PML-N for delay in bringing the Accountability Law to the House and individual walkout by Naseer Bhutta against claimed corruption and nepotism in Pakistan Steel. Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi then adjourned the House to meet again Thursday at 1100 hours to take up remaining Demands for Grants.