Govt cites past deals as NA debates fuel costs

The National Assembly session on Tuesday witnessed a second consecutive day of heated debate over the increase in petroleum prices amid a war in the Gulf, with treasury and opposition members exchanging sharp criticism over economic policies and governance. The session, chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, began with prayers for those martyred in terrorist incidents in Bannu and other areas as well as for the father of MNA Ejaz Jakhrani. Lawmakers then held detailed discussions on energy, the economy, foreign affairs, and the internal security situation. PPP MNA Naveed Qamar moved a calling attention notice regarding changes in the net metering policy and the imposition of taxes on solar panels. He questioned why green energy was being discouraged at a time when electricity remained expensive and largely dependent on polluting fuels. Responding to the concerns, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the government was maintaining a "delicate balance" in the energy sector. He said long-standing agreements had tied the government's hands, making it difficult to exit obligations such as capacity payments. He added that the government remained bound by commitments made over the past 35 years, although efforts were underway to find some flexibility through recent negotiations. Minister of State for Energy Shaza Fatima Khawaja told the House that Pakistan was moving towards clean energy. She said reliance on imported coal was being reduced in favour of local coal, while the net metering policy continued to benefit consumers and solar energy would remain encouraged. During the debate on petroleum prices, PPP's Sharmila Faruqui criticised the government's policy as unclear, saying repeated price hikes were severely affecting the public. She noted that heavy taxation on petrol and rising diesel prices were fuelling inflation. MNA Noor Alam Khan also criticised the increase, saying it was placing an unbearable burden on citizens and making it difficult for farmers to afford wheat harvesting. He also took a strong stance on relations with Afghanistan and the prevailing security situation. Engineer Hameed Hussain raised the issues faced by victims of the Tirah operation, prompting the Speaker to seek a report from the relevant authorities. Opposition MNA Junaid Akbar Khan questioned why new petroleum rates were applied when stocks purchased at older rates were still available. He also criticised the ruling elite's lifestyle, alleging misuse of public funds, including claims about luxury expenditures, and argued that ordinary voters were being ignored in favour of those who controlled election outcomes. MNA Aliya Kamran highlighted a revenue shortfall of Rs430 billion in the previous fiscal year, stating that petroleum price increases were being used to bridge the gap. Responding on behalf of the government, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani said maintaining the primary balance was a key objective. He stated that the petroleum levy had been reduced by up to Rs80, while the levy on diesel had been brought down to zero. He added that digital invoicing had been introduced in sectors such as cement, tobacco, and sugar and efforts were ongoing to expand the tax net. Despite economic challenges, he said, the government had tried to reduce the burden on the public wherever possible. MNA Atif Khan said the opposition was not being given adequate opportunity to speak and urged the leadership to adopt austerity measures, suggesting that senior officials should use commercial flights until fuel prices were reduced. PPP MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig also criticised the government, saying sudden increases in oil prices had benefited companies while heavy taxation had driven inflation. He maintained that while adjustments in line with global prices were understandable, placing excessive burden on the public was not justified.   National government Leader of Opposition Mahmood Khan Achakzai called for lowering political tensions and building national consensus. He urged an end to frequent parliamentary breaks and emphasised the need to allow all members to speak to strengthen democratic processes. He said the current system had effectively collapsed and that all political leadership must come together to form a national government. He also warned that any attempt at "minus PTI founder" politics would face resistance. Highlighting regional challenges, he stressed the importance of improving relations with neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, and called for a balanced relationship between political and military leadership. He said only collective wisdom could steer the country out of crisis.   Aircraft for Punjab CM Opposition members questioned the reported purchase of an aircraft worth Rs11 billion for the Punjab chief minister, calling it unjustifiable in the current economic situation. MNA Zain Qureshi pointed out that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister did not have an official aircraft and argued that such expenditures in other provinces were increasing public hardship. He demanded that the government cut its expenses and secure public relief in negotiations with the IMF. In response, Khawaja Asif said it was inappropriate to target a single individual, noting that chief ministers of all four provinces had access to official aircraft. He clarified that the prime minister had not purchased a new plane but had upgraded an existing one.