NA Speaker hints at oil prices cut

ISLAMABAD—Speaker National Assembly Chadhry Amir Hussain has said that decrease in the oil prices in international market should also lead to the cut in oil prices in the country. “The issue of oil prices is of national importance and there can be debate on it in the house,” he stated this on Thursday on point of order raised by opposition in house regarding the hike in oil prices in the country despite the decrease of oil prices in international market.
He said that the cut of oil prices in the domestic level should be linked with the decrease in oil prices in international market and the masses was bearing a burden and government should also follow the suit. He said that there was misunderstanding regarding the hike in oil prices and the masses had also developed reservations about it and it should be debated in house to make public the facts.
Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Khan Jadoon said that the prices of oil products increased in the 2004-05 in international market and this factor led to the hike in oil prices in the country. He said that oil prices were rising again in the international market and if house wanted to debate on this issue, government was ready to discuss the issue in the house. Chaudhry Nisar Ali said that all issues could be discussed in the house on the wish of government but this matter was not being tabled on floor of the house that was badly posing a negative impact on the lives of the masses.
He said that prices in international market had been reduced to 20 percent but in Pakistan, the continual hike in oil prices was in practice hitting the masses to the worst position. He said that government is bound to reduce the oil prices with the decrease of oil prices in international market but government was not following its commitment and exploiting the rights of the masses.
He added that companies and oil dealers were earning undue profit and robing the masses and government was reluctant to discuss even the issue that was of great importance.”Government is claiming to give subsidy on petroleum products but in fact government was not even paying a single rupee in term of subsidy for the last two years,” he added.—Online