PPP blocks parliamentary proceedings on 2 gas revenue bills amid rift with govt

Dawn reported that the Pakistan Peoples Party blocked a National Assembly petroleum committee from taking up two government bills on gas-linked revenue on Friday. PPP's Syed Naveed Qamar asked members to set aside the Natural Gas (Development Surcharge) Amendment Bill and the GIDC Amendment Bill, and the panel later deferred both. The move came amid coalition tensions over Azad Kashmir polls and talk of creating new provinces.

The Petroleum Division had proposed widening the use of GIDC funds to strategic oil and gas reserves, which are currently limited to pipeline projects. Dawn also noted that about Rs295 billion is unspent, while more than Rs400bn gathered from consumers by fertiliser firms is kept outside the exchequer over legal issues. Committee chairman Mustafa Mehmood argued that cheap gas should not go to fertiliser makers unless farmers benefit.

Outside the meeting, Qamar said the PPP is not a coalition partner but has backed the government, and that the arrangement cannot continue one-sidedly indefinitely. He said the party had raised grievances over AJK elections, judicial appointments and other matters, and would withhold support until tangible progress appears. The party also opposes the Islamabad Local Government Bill, having filed a dissenting note on it.