National Assembly adjourned as opposition protests fuel price increase

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday could not proceed with its scheduled business after opposition members staged a protest over a sharp increase in petroleum prices, leading the chair to adjourn the sitting without any item on the agenda being taken up.

According to the agenda, the lower house was due to consider 90 items, including the question hour, a calling attention notice regarding changes in the net metering policy for solar prosumers, and several bills. However, none of these matters was addressed as opposition lawmakers began a loud protest before the start of the question hour.

The protest followed the government’s announcement late on Thursday night of a major rise in fuel prices. The increase set the price of petrol at Rs458.4 per litre and high-speed diesel at Rs520.35 per litre. The move came against the backdrop of a global fuel crunch linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Opposition members raised slogans in the house against the increase, disrupting proceedings from the outset. Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, who was presiding over the sitting, was ultimately compelled to adjourn the session as the House was unable to transact any business.

The fuel price revision represented an increase of 43 per cent in the price of petrol and 55pc in the price of high-speed diesel. The issue dominated the day’s proceedings and prevented lawmakers from moving to the listed legislative and oversight business.

The disrupted sitting had been expected to cover routine parliamentary business as well as policy-related matters. Among the items listed was a calling attention notice on the change in net metering policy for solar prosumers, but the protest meant the matter did not come up for discussion.

The adjournment underscored the immediate political fallout from the latest petroleum price increase, with the opposition using the floor of the National Assembly to register its protest. As a result, the house was unable to take up the question hour, legislative business, or any of the other items included in the 90-point agenda.

Fuel price increase stalls proceedings

The assembly’s inability to begin formal business came directly after the overnight announcement of revised fuel prices. With opposition lawmakers protesting the decision inside the chamber, the sitting ended without progress on any scheduled matter.