ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The government assured the National Assembly on Tuesday it would take necessary measures to check the continuing hike in the prices of domestically-produced cars, as members from both the treasury and opposition benches protested against the trend.
Parliamentary Secretary for Industries and Production Syed Javed Ali Shah also informed the House that Industries and Production Minister Liaqat Ali Jatoi had persuaded the local manufacturers of Toyota cars to withdraw their recently announced price increases.
The secretary, who was responding to a joint call-attention notice from four ruling party and one opposition members on the issue, waved a letter that he said had been received from the Indus Motors manufacturing firm informing the ministry that pre- August 20 prices of the Toyota cars had been restored.
Several members from both sides of the House complained that prices of all brands of cars were being increased as they accused the government of stalling the import of re-conditioned cars.
A woman member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, Kashmala Tariq, said all types of locally-manufactured cars were selling at a premium except for those who could manage telephone calls to be made by unspecified sources to manufacturers or dealers.
Kunwar Khalid Younis of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement urged the government to break what he called a "car cartel". A Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal member, Mohammad Hanif Abbasi, said he had received complaints from overseas Pakistanis blaming two federal ministers for blocking the import of reconditioned cars.
But parliamentary secretary for finance Omar Ayub Khan rejected the allegation as hearsay. Industries and Production Minister Liaqat Ali Jatoi, who has often faced members' ire over car prices or imports, came to the House much later after listening to similar criticism in the Senate.
But by then, deputy speaker Sardar Mohammad Yaqub, who chaired the proceedings on the private members' day, had decided to close a mini debate on the issue.
Very little business was transacted despite a long agenda set for the sitting, most of which was consumed by points of orders raised by members on numerous issues ranging from a security crackdown in Balochistan province, to police raids on religious madrassahs and the American-led offensive in Najaf.
IRO-AMENDING BILLS: Muttahida Majlis-Amal (MMA) member Liaqat Baloch spoke only briefly on his private bill seeking to amend the controversial Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) 2002 before the House was adjourned until 10.30am on Wednesday.
The chair allowed a similar bill, proposed by 12 members of the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP), to be moved to be clubbed together with Mr Baloch's draft.
Mr Baloch said his bill sought to undo objectionable provisions of the IRO 2002, which he alleged, contravened some basic rights given by the constitution as well as conventions of the International Labour Organisation, encouraged "pocket unions" and restricted the authority of labour courts.
Earlier, on a request from PPP member Mrs Sherry Rehman, the chair further deferred her Protection and Empowerment of Women Bill seeking to eliminate gender discrimination in the country.
The bill, moved in March, has been deferred several times in view of a government assurance to pass a bill along similar lines with the consensus of Treasury and Opposition benches.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Raza Hayat Hiraj reiterated in the House that there was an agreement between the two sides to bring such a consensus bill. But he gave no indication when this would be done.
There was also no official word yet about when the present session of the lower House will be prorogued and a special session called to elect outgoing Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz as prime minister.
