ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: The government came under severe criticism in the Senate on Friday for exempting a Chinese company from sales tax and federal excise duty through an SRO which the House declared contrary to the rules as well as violation of the Supreme Court judgment.

Opposition Senators Murtaza Wahab, Nauman Wazir, Kamil Ali Agha, Saleem Mandviwalla and Ilyas Bilour drew the attention of the House through a calling attention notice towards “undue” favour given to a Chinese company by exempting it from sales tax and federal excise duty.

Wahab said that concession was granted to the China State Construction Company Engineering Company (CSCEC) through an SRO on January 23, 2018 by the Economic Coordination Committee without getting approval from the federal cabinet.

Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani referred the matter to concerned committee of the House for holding a probe into the matter. The body was asked report back to the House in its next session in February.

He expressed annoyance after State Minister for Finance Rana Mohammad Afzal accepted that the SRO was first of its kind which was issued after a summary moved by Ministry of Communications was approved by the ECC.

This promoted Rabbani to cite constitutional provisions that clearly state that the ECC decisions in such matter have no importance, as it is the federal cabinet which can give a decision regarding tax exemption to a company, etc.

The chair questioned how a summary can be moved in violation of law, adding there is a clear-cut judgment of the Supreme Court barring any such concession through SROs.

“No one can use the authority of the federal cabinet,” he remarked, adding that neither the Prime Minister nor a minister/secretary is considered as the federal government rather it is the federal cabinet which is called the federal government.

Ahsan Iqbal, who is looking after the Planning and Development Ministry, said that all China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related projects are being given project-based concessions.

However, he did not elaborate whether the concessions are given through SROs or after getting approval from the federal cabinet. But he did say that the government will abide by the apex court’s judgment and ratification would be sought from the cabinet.

The movers including Ilyas Bilour and Nauman Wazir termed the move far more dangerous than the East India Company.

However, Ahsan Iqbal defended the concessions, saying that the concession was sought for Multan-Sukkur Motorway project under the CPEC. He further said that China is providing the cheapest loan at 2 percent rate and such attempts to compare it with the East India Company are nothing but a negative propaganda against a friendly country.

He said that loans taken from China for infrastructure development under the CPEC project are concessional in nature.

He further said that an investment of $5 billion has been mobilized for exploitation of Thar coal, adding that Thar coal is a precious asset which values more than the cumulative energy reservoirs of Saudi Arabia and Iran. He also dismissed any irregularity or misappropriation in the CPEC-related projects.

The unwavering defence from Ahsan Iqbal did not satisfy the House, particularly the chairman who termed the SRO a mockery of the law and the Supreme Court judgment.

The senators also voiced concern over the arrest of more than 180 Baloch and Pashtun students of Punjab University after a clash with Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT), a student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

The matter was raised by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) parliamentary leader Usman Kakar who termed IJT a “terrorist” organization and also sought action against the group.

He said that the students of IJT, who have established monopoly in the education institutions of Punjab, attacked the Baloch and Pashtun students in Punjab University on January 22.

The police instead of taking action against the IJT arrested more than 180 Baloch and Pashtun students under the anti-terrorism act, adding that many of them got injured and they are not being given medical treatment.

Opposition Leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan sought an action against the IJT, saying that PPP stands by Baloch and Pashtun students and offered his party’s all possible assistance in this regard.

While taking notice of the situation, Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani said that he would himself talk to Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif for an early solution to the matter.

Leader of the House Raja Zafar-ul-Haq and Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal informed the House that the chief minister has already given an assurance to release the students and resolve the matter amicably.

They said that Baloch and Pashtun students are studying in the education institutions of Punjab on the scholarships offered to them by the chief minister.

Senator Dr Ashok Kumar drew the attention of the House towards the killing of two brothers in Thar, saying that accused are still at large.

To this, the chair instructed Senator Taj Haider to take up the matter with the government of Sindh for the arrest of the culprits.

The House also passed the ‘National University of Technology Bill’ moved by Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain.

Before its prorogation, the House expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people and their just struggle for the right to self-determination through adopting a unanimous resolution. The resolution moved by Nasreen Jalil strongly denounced the Indian atrocities in the Occupied Valley and urged international community and the United Nations to take notice of these brutalities and basic human rights’ violations.