ISLAMABAD: State Minister for finance Hammad Azhar is hopeful for success in talks with IMF while he also hinted to increase petroleum prices further while opposition demanded the government to take senate into confidence over talks with IMF and placing of Maulana Masood Azhar name on the global terrorist list.
The Senate session was held in chair of Chairman Senate Saddiq Sanjrani while State minister for finance told the upper house on a calling attention notice of PPP senator Sherry Rehman that the talks with IMF have been continued since October last year and currently IMF team is in Pakistan.
The minister told the Senate that IMF mission head said that he did not see any worst economy like Pakistan while the Minister ensured the upper house that the government will take the finance committee of the Senate and National Assembly (NA) into confidence over the talks with the IMF.
He said that the government paid more debts as compared to the previous year while inflation decreased to 8.4 per cent from 9.4 per cent.
Defending the increase in the dollar prices Hammad Azhar said that dollar prices increased by 10 per cent in the previous PML-N government while it prices increased by 25 per cent in the PPP era from 2008 to 2013.
The minister said that oil prices increased globally by 35 per cent and we will have to increase the oil prices and it will be increased gradually and the government does n’t want to impose the whole burden to masses at once.
Taking part in the discussion PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said that it seems that the government is not taking parliament serious and it did n’t take parliament into confidence over talks with the IMF.
The PPP senator said that the government apprised the IMF that it collected services taxes from five various federations and from four provinces and it also informed to the IMF that one collection system will be introduced after three years.
The PPP senator warned that if the government did n’t take Senate and people into confidence then they will not accept the government agreement with the IMF and taking parliament into confidence after the talks will not be beneficial.
He said that PM Imran in his visit to Iran said that “Pakistan soil used against Iran” and foreign office conducted a press conference over Maulana Masood Azhar issue and said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi should take senate into confidence over Maulana Masood Azhar issue and on other issues.
Another PPP senator Sherry Rehman said that the if the government wish it can inform the parliament through an in-camera briefing about conditions placed by the IMF while the government wanted to run the government through TV and selfie and it cannot be done like this.
She said that Kulbhushan and Jindullah were discussed in the PM Iran visit adding that lots of countries wanted sanctions on Pakistan and PM did not know what is happening in the United Nations after his statement in Iran.
Sherry Rehman said that Zalmay Khalilzad has visited Pakistan several times and the Senate was not informed by his visits and matters he discussed.
Federal Minister of Parliament affairs Azam Swati said that the opposition is alleging the government in the manner that all the things got bad in the country in just eight months of the government.
Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that little corruption is not a matter while we heard once upon a time that PIA aeroplane reached Germany after the theft.
Senator Faisal Javeed Khan said that the opposition kept on making a ruckus in the parliament while we have inaugurated prosperous for Pakistan, Muhimand dam project today.
Senate also prayed for three martyrs soldiers who were martyred in North Waziristan in the attack from Afghanistan.
The Senate session adjourned till tomorrow morning at 10 a m.
