Senators ask govt to give economic relief to poor

Senators Friday urged the government to provide relief to the poor and criticized legislation through ordinances by bringing bills in Parliament for approval.

Continuing debate on present economic situation and on the passage of ordinance of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), leader of the opposition in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq said normal legislation process was not being followed while issuing PMDC ordinance.

Ordinances could only be issued in an emergency situation or when the National Assembly and Senate were not in session, he added.

He said legislation through ordinances was not the right way, adding that the PMDC ordinance should be taken back. He said PMDC office was sealed, occupied and documents in the office were taken away and hundreds of employees were removed from their jobs.

New PMDC ordinance was not beneficial for the public and private colleges were given free hand in fixing fees and no standards were set for the private medical education, he continued.

Senator Dr Sikandar Mendro said Pakistan Medical Council was formed after creation of Pakistan, replacing the British Medical Council. Overnight abolishing the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council through an ordinance after disapproval of an earlier ordinance was not appropriate, he remarked. He said that even before the meeting of the Standing Committee of Senate, the ordinance was issued.

According to new ordinance, non-elected persons were made members of the council, he added.

According to ordinance, persons not related to medical profession would be members of the commission and council, Dr Mendro added.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said Pakistan had 168 medical colleges regulated by Medical and Dental Council. He said the Parliament had rejected the ordinance four times, adding even Supreme Court had passed adverse remarks against legislation through ordinances. Election should be held for PMDC and the services of employees should be restored, he demanded.

He said the government lacked control over the increasing prices of gas, electricity and items of daily use.

The government took loans of Rs11,000 billion in a year and the deficit of state owned enterprises was increasing, even the State Bank had deficit of Rs1 billion. He said poor people were suffering due to the present economic conditions.

The politicians should use their collective wisdom and give a charter to take the economy forward, he added.

Senator Nauman Wazir said the credit for eradicating terrorism should be given to armed forces while the credit for generating electricity went to Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). He said Pakistan's ranking had improved by 28 places in World Bank's index for ease of doing business.

The current account deficit had come down from $ 2 billion while dollar against the rupee had come down from Rs164 to Rs156. Foreign direct investment had increased, he said adding the state owned enterprises should be privatized to get rid of their losses.

Senator Usman Kakar said representation of provinces was ended in the PMDC and the employees lost their jobs. Medical profession was being commercialized and standards for private medical colleges were lowered, he told.

He said media should be independent and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) should be made autonomous. Pakistan Railways, Pakistan International Airlines, Steel Mills and electricity distribution companies were running in losses of hundreds of billions of rupees.