World hailing relief packages of govt during COVID-19 crisis: NA told

ISLAMABAD, Jun 11 (APP):Parliamentary Secretary for Textile, Commerce, Industries and Production Aliya Hamza on Thursday informed the National Assembly that the world institutions were hailing the relief packages announced by the government for different segments of the society during COVID-19 crisis.
Speaking in the National Assembly, she said that Secretary General of United Nations and international media had also appreciated Pakistan’s relief package announced to provide assistance to poor people during this difficult time.
She said that due to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s debt relief call, the loans of developing countries were being deferred.
She said that sugar and flour crises had badly affected the country during the governments of Pakistan Peoples party and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz.
The Secretary said that it was unfortunate that PML-N and PPP had not constituted any commission to probe different crises during their tenures.
She said that credit for making the commission to probe sugar and flour crises went to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Aliya Hamza said that it was unfortunate and not understandable that the Sindh government had purchased 41 vehicles in the name of dealing with the locust.
She alleged that Sindh government had given Rs 4 billion subsidy for sugar in the province to Omni group.
The Parliamentary Secretary said Pakistan Peoples Party and PMLN governments also indulged in export and import of sugar during their tenure.
If the governments of PPP and PML-N allowed export and import of sugar, and it was right step, then how it could be wrong if done by the PTI government, she added.
She alleged that former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi gave Rs 20 billion subsidy to Suleman Shahbaz.
About Pakistan Steel Mills, she said that soon after assuming the government, the Prime Minister constituted experts’ groups for making operational plan for the steel mills.
She said that experts from the private sector were included in the groups to come up with working plan to run the steel mill.
The Parliamentary Secretary said that after study of the experts’ recommendations, the government included PSM in the privatization list.
She said it was objective of the government to run the PSM through public private partnership for the benefit of the country and its employees.
She recalled that Sindh government during 2015 had asked the PML-N government to hand over the PSM to Sindh.
She said that unfortunately during that period Sindh government did not submit any plan to the then government.
Then time and again Chief Minister Sindh asked for calling the meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI) to discuss privatization of PSM but nothing happened, she added.
The secretary said that during Pervaiz Musharraf’s government Pakistan Steel Mills was running in profit, while during the PPP government it was pushed into losses.
She said it was unfortunate that during the PML-N government tenure, the operation of PSM totally ended.
Aisha Ghaus Pasha of PML (N) said the Covid-19 had badly affected the economy and livelihoods of the people. She asked the government to take steps for the betterment of the country’s economy.
Abdul Qadir Patel of Pakistan Peoples Party criticized the government for the flour, sugar and petroleum products’ crises in the country.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan MNA Kishwar Zehra said that it was unfortunate that development needs of Karachi were being ignored.