ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan on Thursday assured the National Assembly (NA) that the elements involved in creating hurdles in passing the benefit of reduced prices of petroleum products to masses would be brought to book.
Winding up discussion on a motion to express gratitude to the president on his address to both houses of the parliament, he said, “There is no sympathy in the government for the elements involved in creating hurdles in passing the benefit of reduced prices of petroleum products to masses.” Whoever did not allow this relief to reach the people would be held accountable, he added.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had given the biggest relief in Asia to the people in terms of decreasing price of petroleum products. He added that the licences of companies involved in wrongdoing would be revoked.
He also said that institutions in the country could be strengthened through legislation not with speeches. He added that the government started reforms in the institutions but status quo started working against it.
The adviser said that the prime minister had given the directions to immediately formulate a law for prevention of conflict of interest.
The adviser assured that the privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other institutions would be completed in the most transparent manner and as per the law. He said that resources generated would be spent on the welfare of the people.
He said that the issue of Covid-19 should not have been politicized, but unfortunately opposition did politics on the deadly disease.
Responding to a point raised by Khawaja Asif, Awan assured the house that he would personally inquire about the issue that hospitals in federal capital were admitting sick people while keeping in view their age. He said that treatment could not be linked with age limit. He added that the country’s health system had ability to entertain aged and senior citizens.
He said that credit went to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and PM Imran for exposing the sugar mafia despite the threat of instability of the government.
He said that exposing the mafia involved in the sugar crisis was not the against the country’s interest and for the first time the government went after the status quo. All the big families were involved in the business of sugar, he added.
The adviser said that sugar was being sold on simple receipts at the end of the crushing season. A total of Rs 29 billion of subsidies had been given to sugar mills owners, he added.
During the PTI government, all relevant persons were questioned by the commission on sugar constituted by the prime minister to fix responsibility, he continued.
Awan said that no government in the past had constituted commission to probe a sugar crisis.
The government was preparing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for reopening the tourism sector, he informed.
He said that seminaries were the biggest NGOs working in the country and the teachers imparting education would be taken care of. “I will discuss the issue with the government and concerned departments and they will be included in Ehsaas Emergency Cash program,” he added.
The adviser said that parliamentary committee on Covid-19 was still working. He said that food chain during lockdown worked effectively, adding complete lockdown in the country would have brought negative effect on daily wagers and poor people. He added that cash had been distributed among the people during Covid-19 crisis.
He said that due to efforts of the government, erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were merged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Due to sacrifices of Pakistan’s Armed Forces, the areas of FATA were freed from terrorism, he added.
Dr Awan said that there was no “no go area” in the country at present. He told that people in FATA had been given employment in police.
