PESHAWAR, Jan 2: The provincial assembly, through a unanimously adopted resolution, has demanded that the federal government withdraw gas and POL price increases immediately.

Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party and Amanat Shah of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal separately presented two identical resolutions demanding withdrawal of increases made in gas and petroleum products’ prices.

They said the increases directly affected the purchasing power of the salaried and poor sections of society.

Through its anti-people measures, the movers said, the federal government was paving the way for strife and chaos in the country. After the unprecedented increase in the prices of natural gas and other essential commodities, the people had no choice but to launch protest against the federal government, they added.

Endorsing the resolutions, Anwar Kamal Marwat of the Pakistan Muslim League-N said the house would not accept this upward revision in prices. He asked lawmakers of both opposition and treasury benches to organize protest meetings in their areas against the price-hike and load-shedding.

He said after the October earthquake, which had affected the entire Pakistan, the government should not have increased the POL prices, but it was burdening the people with inhumane measures.

After a minor amendment proposed by Naeema Kishwar of the MMA, the assembly unanimously adopted the two resolutions.

Earlier, speaking on a point of order MPA Qurban Ali Khan from Nowshera proposed to the chair to bring the Kalabagh dam issue on the agenda and drop all other items so that lawmakers could focus on this burning issue which had plunged the country into a big controversy.

Speaking on a point of order, Abdul Akbar Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party questioned how one man (the president) could decide about the Kalabagh dam or set the rules for the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to get the controversial dam constructed.

He asked the chair to allow him to move an adjournment motion on the issue.

Abdul Akbar Khan said the CCI was the competent forum to make any decision about mega projects and the president alone could not take any decision on the Kalabagh dam.

Saeed Mohammad Khan of the PML-Q denied that President Musharraf had made a decision on the dam.

Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan, who was presiding over the session, was of the view that the discussion on the issue should be initiated after Eid.

Khalil Abbas of the ANP drew the attention to the death of a child, who died of fire burns in his native town Akora Khattak and asked the government to provide financial assistance to the bereaved family.

The speaker adjourned the sitting till Jan 23.