ISLAMABAD: Legislators belonging to opposition parties on Wednesday criticized the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government's foreign policy in the National Assembly seeking a categorical statement regarding the reported shift in it’s policy towards Syria and sale of ammunition to ‘friendly countries.’
All MNAs who spoke on the issue, seemed dissatisfied with the policy statement of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who categorically stated that the grant of $1.5 billion from a ‘friendly country’ was without any conditions attached to it.
Speaking on a point of order, Deputy Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the government must take the house into confidence, as the country was still enduring the consequents of former president Gen Ziaul Haq's Afghan policy.
Criticizing recent increase in power prices, he said there was no improvement in reducing line-losses and power theft has not yet been overcome and loadshedding has not been decreased.
Qureshi said PTI chief Imran Khan wanted to cooperate with the government for overcoming the chronic problems. Khan had invited Prime Minsiter Nawaz Sharif and held negotiations on exterminating terrorism from the country also, he added.
Mehmood Khan Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) said the country must not get involved in the matters of Syria just for the sake of money.
“Pakistan should play the role of mediator between Gulf countries. The country must remain neutral in other's conflicts and must not bracket itself with any country,” he said.
Former finance minister Syed Naveed Qamar of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) asked the government to make public the conditions behind the grant of $1.5 billion of a ‘friendly country.’
Speaking on a point of order in the lower house of parliament, he said speculations galore in the media that the country was going to involve in the affairs of Syria, and giving ammunition to some foreign countries as well. Qamar alleged that, “the government has increased the size of begging bowl instead of breaking it.”
Dr Farooq Sattar of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said that benefits of the decrease in US dollar price must be passed towards common people. He urged the government to reduce the poverty ratio and decrease price of the electricity.
“The benefit of $1.5 billion must be passed towards people and reduce cost of doing business,” he said alleging that the circular debt has been paid by printing excessive currency notes.