ISLAMABAD A severe criticism came in the Upper House on Friday not from the opposition but from one of the PPPs Senators on what he termed the criminal negligence of the state-run Pakistan International Airline (PIA) that prompted Russia to deny its airspace for flights of the airline. Adviser to Prime Minister, Raza Rabbani, on a point of order while quoting a media report, said that Russia had banned its airspace for PIA flights. The decision would affect 80 flights of PIA bound for Canada and other European countries in a week and it would have to bear extra charges up to Rs 120 million in the shape of fuel charges, he added. He was of the view that duration of the flights would increase up to 20 minutes, as PIAs aeroplanes would have to take a long route due to the decision. He termed it a criminal negligence of the national flag carriers, if proved, as PIA did not timely adjust its flights schedule with the Russian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as a result of which it banned or denied its airspace for the flights. He said that Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar should explain the House about the actual position amid the voice of Leader of the House, Nayyer Bokhari, that Rabbani was advisor to PM and he should raise the issue at a proper forum. Rabbani stressed that there was not other proper forum as the House was in session. While taking part in the debate on the prevailing state of countrys economy in the wake of the devastating floods and price hike, Senator Ishaq Dar said that the incumbent government could rehabilitate 14 million flood affectees with its own resources after revising the budget and taking austerity measures. He regretted that the rulers did not pay any heed to this advice of PML-N. His party had also floated a proposal for constitution of an oversight body to monitor the functioning of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), he added. This proposal could help the government in improving the credibility and reducing trust deficit of the government but the PM took three months to act upon this decision, he added. He said that if the government wanted to come up with new budget, then no problem, it should do but the purpose should be to rehabilitate the flood affectees and provide relief to the poor masses. He said that the government should play its proactive role to check the price hike and inflation. He described that the poor response of the government to lift ban on the import of sugar caused the raise in price of the commodity at Rs 90 per kg. He termed it a complete management failure of the government. He also suggested that the government should decrease line losses in spite of the increasing power tariff by infliction heavy burden on the poor masses. Earlier, Senators Haroon Khan, Ishaq Dar and Seemi Saddiqui on a point of order dispelled the impression being given in a section of the press that that they as chairmen and chairperson of three different sub-committees of the Senate standing committee are being influenced by their party heads to show leniency. The three sub-committees are probing National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam separately. Haji Adeel on a point of order said that the government should know the authenticity of a letter written by a Saudi prince regarding alleged corruption by Pakistani officials during Haj operations. Seemi Saddiqui stressed the need for constituting a committee to probe the matter. Khalid Soomro said that Watan Cards were not being distributed among the flood affectees of the surrounding districts of Larkana and Sindh. While in some cases, people had been issued cash cards but the amounts in their cards are frozen, he said. Senator Nayyer Bokhari, Haji Adeel and the Chair felicitated the Hindu Parliamentarians and the Hindu community on their auspicious day of Dewali before the House was adjourned to meet again on Monday at 3 pm.