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The National Assembly of Pakistan was unable to address an extensive 90-point agenda after opposition lawmakers launched a fierce demonstration against a massive surge in fuel prices, Dawn reported.
The legislative session on Friday was disrupted by an outcry over a record-breaking hike of 43 per cent in petrol prices and a 55 per cent jump in high-speed diesel (HSD) rates. The revised prices, which now stand at PKR 458.4 per litre for petrol and PKR 520.35 per litre for HSD, were disclosed late Thursday night. According to Dawn, the government attributed the spike to a global fuel crisis triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. As the opposition launched its protest, Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah was forced to adjourn the sitting without completing any official business. The session was intended to cover a question hour, a calling attention notice regarding solar net metering policies, and several legislative bills. Before the scheduled question hour could begin, the House was filled with chants denouncing the administration. Protesters surrounded the speaker's rostrum and shredded copies of the day's agenda while shouting slogans like "thief government unacceptable" and "looter government unacceptable". Opposition members demanded the floor to debate the price hike, ignoring the Deputy Speaker's assurances that they would be permitted to speak after the preliminary items were cleared. Dawn noted that the chaotic scene prevented any progress on the 90-point schedule. Eventually, PTI's Junaid Akbar was allowed to speak, during which he slammed the administration as "incompetent" and "corrupt". He told the House, "Last night, you saw how this imposed government dropped a petrol bomb on the people." The Deputy Speaker expressed frustration when the lawmaker began criticising a national institution, warning, "If you speak against institutions like this, I won't let the session continue." Following the brief speech, which was excluded from the state television broadcast and the assembly's digital channels, the protest persisted. Dawn reported that the Deputy Speaker remarked, "You cannot dictate the chair like this," before adjourning the House until 5:00 pm on Monday. Earlier in the proceedings, the chair had inquired about a dialogue between the government and journalists who had boycotted the press gallery on Thursday. The media protest was sparked by mass layoffs and the non-payment of salaries across various organisations. A government committee informed the Deputy Speaker that journalists had raised "genuine demands". It was highlighted that some media outlets were terminating staff "unjustly without even serving a notice, and some of them had not paid salaries for the last three months", as reported by Dawn. Further concerns were raised regarding journalists being paid below the minimum wage and the withdrawal of discounts on railway travel. The assembly was urged to have the Information Minister and the Speaker intervene to resolve these pressing media industry issues. (ANI)
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