K-Electric sparks verbal brawl in parliament.

Byline: Javaid-ur-Rahman

ISLAMABAD -- The National Assembly on Thursday witnessed pandemonium throughout the proceedings as parliamentarians from treasury and opposition mostly engaged in verbal brawl on multiple matters including K-Electric.

Throwing headphones on opponents by one Member of National Assembly, strict warnings to MNAs on un-parliamentary behaviour by the Chair, and sloganeering and exchange of heated remarks dominated over legislative business in the House.

The tense situation saw its peak when a minister Murad Saeed started reading out confessional statement of Uzair Baloch. The opposition [PPP-P], taking advantage of thin presence in the house, smartly disrupted the proceedings by pointing out lack of required strength.

The lawmakers from both sides, with the outset of proceedings, engaged in verbal brawl on a call-attention notice on a matter of K-Electric [load-shedding in Karachi]. Federal minister Umar Ayub Khan blamed the previous government for creating a mess in K-Electric.

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Minister said the K-electric had not upgraded its system over the years. He assured the federal government to help K-electric for building its capacity. Minister, despite facing interruption from opposition, held responsible previous governments [the PPP and the PML-N] for weak distribution of transmission.

'The cabinet committee on energy called emergency meetings and summoned officials from KE, NEPRA, and the NTDC to settle the situation,' he said, mentioning that the K-Electric was privatised during the PML-Q government. The Minister said that 30mm cubic feet per day (cfd) gas would be given from other cities to Karachi which would be used to produce 200 megawatt of energy. 'It is mainly the responsibility of previous government,' he said.

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Minister for Planning Asad Umar, adding his share, recalled the opposition party [PPP-P] of its claim to end load shedding within six months. While talking about PPP's government in Zulfiqar Bhutto's era, he recalled there was no electricity in Karachi the entire night and they found out in the morning that there had been a coup and General Zia had taken over. 'They have been involved in load-shedding for 35 years,' he said, facing uproar from opposition benches.

The previous governments had not taken steps to...