January 10, 2007	Wednesday	Zilhaj 19, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: Opposition senators on Tuesday submitted two different adjournment motions to the Senate Secretariat seeking discussion on the issue of increase in prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and termination of 135 employees of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

According to the parliamentary secretary of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Izhar Amrohvi, the motions have been filed under Rule 74 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 1988 and carry the signatures of the opposition members belonging to the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

In the first motion, the opposition senators state that “the price of LPG has been enhanced by Rs10 in local market after the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) announced to equalise the price of imported LPG and the locally-produced gas. The LPG marketing companies in one go added Rs90 to the price of 11.8kg cylinder that led to tremendous increase in per kilo price of LPG.”

The motion said that due to this decision, the price of LPG increased from Rs41 per kg to Rs51 per kg soon after Eidul Azha causing grave concern among the public.

Through another motion, the opposition senators have sought a debate on the reports that “PIA has terminated the services of 135 contract employees without giving any reason or notice.”

The motion states that it has been reported that the employees received their dismissal orders while on the duty.

The motions have been signed by Opposition Leader Mian Raza Rabbani, Farooq Naek, Rukhsana Zuberi, Enver Baig, Dr Safdar Abbasi and Dr Babar Awan of the PPP, Sadia Abbasi of the PML-N and Prof Khurshid Ahmed of the MMA.