NA sets aside day’s agenda to allow general debate

NA sets aside day’s agenda to allow general debate

• PPP legislators oppose proposed relocation of PPL HQ from Karachi to Islamabad • MNAs from Punjab complain about rising costs of DAP fertiliser, urea and agricultural machinery ISLAMABAD:The National Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a flurry of demands from both treasury and opposition members, ranging from the eradication of terrorism and protection of the agriculture sector to an end to power loadshedding, the withdrawal or continuation of the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a reduction in petrol prices, better healthcare facilities, promotion of exports, and the proposed shifting of Pakistan Petroleum Limited’s (PPL) headquarters to the federal capital. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah set aside the 64-point agenda for Private Members’ Day, allowing more than two dozen MNAs from both sides of the aisle to speak on various issues. The agenda for the session had included 16 bills, calling-attention notices, motions, resolutions and various reports to be laid before the house. MQM-Pakistan’s Khawaja Izharul Hassan questioned the deputy speaker’s decision to set aside the main agenda and allow members to speak on points of order. “Members submit their bills after thorough deliberations and work hard for Private Members’ Day, but these bills are intentionally ignored,” he complained. During the debate, PPP MNAs Naveed Qamar, Dr Nafisa Shah and Sharmila Faruqui raised the issue of shifting PPL’s headquarters from Karachi to Islamabad, describing the move as an attempt to diminish the importance of Karachi. Responding to the criticism, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik said the decision had been made by the PPL board and would not diminish the importance of the country’s commercial hub. “The same minister had assured this house in 2025 that PPL’s headquarters and other offices would not be shifted to Islamabad, but today he has changed his statement. How can this august house be fooled?” Dr Nafisa Shah asked. Then, MNAs Riaz Fatyana, Dr Nisar Jutt, Pir Fazal, Hameed Hussain, Nazir Bhugio, Muhammad Aslam Ghumman, Syed Hussain Tariq, Awais Jhakkar and Azhar Qayyum Nehra drew the house’s attention to the problems faced by farmers, particularly the rising costs of DAP fertiliser, urea and agricultural machinery. They argued that the government’s Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) was adversely affecting the agriculture sector and exports of agricultural products. Dr Jutt said the prices of seeds, urea and DAP fertiliser had increased manifold, while the government’s decision not to procure wheat and other crops from farmers had left them vulnerable to exploitation by middlemen. Mr Bhugio and Mr Ghumman said the government had banned the movement of urea in Sindh and KP, resulting in difficulties for farmers and threatening agricultural production. MNA Fazal-ul-Haq said the country had suffered losses of $30 billion to $35bn over the seven years since the introduction of the Export Facilitation Scheme. “Potatoes worth $1 billion are still lying in warehouses, and the government is not purchasing the stocks,” he added. PPP MNA Asma Arbab Alamgir welcomed the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming that the people of the province had supported the move. “No one in KP has taken to the streets to protest against the imposition of emergency,” she added. She alleged that the PTI government had failed to undertake development in KP during its 13 years in power and that more than 4,000 licences for mines and minerals had been issued to favoured individuals. She further accused the non-functional PTI-led provincial government of maintaining ‘links with the Taliban’ in Afghanistan, alleging that people from ‘across the border were running the affairs of KP’. Meanwhile, PTI MNA Ali Muhammad Khan criticised the imposition of emergency in KP and demanded the release of the province’s non-functional chief minister, Sohail Afridi, and other party leaders who were reportedly in ‘protective custody’. Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2026