ISLAMABAD, Oct 01 (DNA): The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf did not consult
Balochistan before asking Saudi Arabia to build an oil city in Gwadar,
Raza Rabbani has said.

“The government did not take parliament or the Balochistan government
into confidence,” the former Senate chairperson said during a session of
the Senate Monday. “This is a direct violation of Article 172.”

Article 172 says that any unclaimed property belongs to the province it
lies in and the federal government.

Rabbani accused the government of trying to sabotage Chinese investment
in Pakistan under its Belt and Road Initiative. “Did the government even
consult China before asking Saudi Arabia to become a third partner?”
Statements of the Chinese officials hinted that they were not in favour
of this, he added.

Commerce Adviser Abdul Razzaq Dawood said that CPEC projects should be
stopped for a year. “Rather than rejecting this statement, he said that
he was misquoted,” Rabbani said.

The International Monetary Fund team, which is currently in Pakistan,
has come for an investigation, he said. “All financial documents were
shared with the team but not parliament.”

He remarked that taking a loan from the IMF will impose more
restrictions on Pakistan’s economy.

“The government keeps on dropping inflation bombs on the people,” said
Senator Chaudhry Tanveer for his part.

Senator Talha Mahmood, who belongs to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, said
that the government is bringing in foreign investment rather than
putting the burden on the people. “There is scope for industrial
development in the country,” he said.

PTI’s Azam Swati said that the government has imposed taxes on big
vehicles and luxury items. “During the tenure of the previous
government, the railways department faced a deficit of Rs40 billion.
There was a deficit of Rs118 billion in the budget,” he remarked. The
PML-N government destroyed all institutions, including the national
airline.

There is widespread corruption in the country. “We should chop off the
hands of politicians, generals, judges and media houses involved in
corrupt practices,” he added.