Shehbaz blasts PTI govt's 'fake budgets', says they caused 5 million job losses

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif is heavily criticising the PTI government for its "fake budgets", saying they had resulted in job losses for five million people.

He was finally able to deliver his budget speech on Thursday after three previous sessions of the House were adjourned due to chaotic behaviour by both treasury as well as opposition members.

He said that in the last three years, many taxes were imposed by the PTI government because of which the "poor man's meals have been halved." Hunger and hopelessness had been created in the country because of previous budgets, he said, adding that Budget 2021-2022 would further increase inflation and the poor would suffer more.

"Twenty million people have fallen below the poverty line in these three years. Income has been reduced by 20 per cent. People are asking where are the 10.5m jobs [promised by the PTI]. As a result of these fake budgets, 5m people have lost their jobs."

Shehbaz claimed that posh housing projects had also been included in government housing schemes aimed at poor people. "What is bigger fudging and deception than this?" he questioned.

He said 15pc unemployment had been combined with 16pc inflation, asking whether "anyone had imagined that a man would sleep hungry in Riasat-e-Madinah".

"They say we will create Naya Pakistan. It is obvious that the old Pakistan was better when the country was somehow made to progress," he quipped.

The PML-N leader pointed out that there was a "lack of trust" among provinces and between the provinces and the federal government, claiming that "such differences have never been seen before."

Editorial: It is perplexing why Fawad Chaudhry decided to launch an unprovoked attack on the Sindh govt

"If only Punjab progresses and the rest of Pakistan does not, then it is not progress," he emphasised.

Shehbaz said that instead of solving issues such as food inflation, the PTI government had spent the time "taking revenge from the opposition". He said nobody was saying that accountability should not happen but "fairness should be the benchmark" for it.

Covid response

Shehbaz also criticised the PTI government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, saying "the entire opposition termed Covid as a 'national emergency' which [they and the government] would tackle together after setting aside our differences."

He recalled that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had then called a conference which was also attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan. "We were all [united] on this but the prime minister left after his speech. Was there something more important than Covid?"

The Rs1.2 trillion package to deal with the coronavirus that was announced by the government also "fell victim to incompetence and negligence", Shehbaz said.

"China and other countries gave us vaccines as gifts but did we have to start (the vaccination campaign) with just gifts? What did you (the government) do in the space you got between the waves of the virus?" he questioned.

'Break begging bowl to end dictation'

The PML-N leader said the per capita debt in Pakistan had risen to 0.14m, adding that "every last hair of our coming generations is mortgaged."

"Can any nation remain alive like this — with an atomic bomb on the one hand and a begging bowl on the other?" he asked.

Shhebaz stressed that the country would have to generate resources, saying "if we want to end dictation, then we will have to break the begging bowl."

He questioned what the government had done to increase exports in the last three years. "The rupee has fallen 35pc against the dollar. When the value dropped, imports became expensive. Our exports could not increase since 2018. They (PTI government) could not increase exports in three years."

Govt, opposition reach consensus

Earlier today, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said the government and the opposition had come to an agreement to ensure the smooth running of National Assembly sessions.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Khattak said a "consensus" was reached in a meeting with the opposition and a proposal was devised which would be elaborated upon by Qaiser later today.

"The decision has been taken to run assemblies smoothly and respect each other. The members have to use appropriate language, cursing should be refrained from, efforts should be made to avoid a ruckus and no one should rise from their seats so there is no fighting or discord."

Khattak said during the meeting, it was recommended that a committee be formed to discuss granting more powers to the NA speaker to ensure that he is able to effectively control any disruptive environment in the future.

"I am hopeful that we had a very good meeting and the effort will be that the assembly runs smoothly today, the leader of the opposition speaks and people from our side speak as well so the message is sent that we parliamentarians work for the country's betterment and condemn whatever happened," the defence minister said.

Chaudhry, meanwhile, added that under the defence minister's leadership, PTI lawmakers Asad Umar, Ali Muhammad Khan, Amir Dogar and himself were part of the government's team. From the opposition, PML-N lawmakers Rana Sanaullah, Ayaz Sadiq and Rana Tanveer and PPP MNAs Raja Pervez Ashraf and Shazia Murree were present during the meeting.

He said there was a discussion on "all matters" and it was agreed that rowdiness in NA sessions had debased the parliament and caused embarrassment for parliamentarians.

Tumult in NA

The NA was subject to disruption this week amid repeated confrontations between the treasury and opposition benches during the budget sessions. Treasury members on Wednesday (yesterday) interrupted the budget speech of Shehbaz through sloganeering for a third consecutive day.

Qaiser had to suspend the proceedings when an unidentified opposition member from the backbenches threw a sanitiser bottle at the treasury benches that hit PTI MNA from Karachi, Akram Cheema.

Earlier that day, the speaker had barred seven MNAs, including three from the PTI, from entering the House after budget books and expletives were hurled during Tuesday's session.

Ali Gohar Khan (PML-N), Chaudhary Hamid Hameed (PML-N), Sheikh Rohale Asghar (PML-N), Faheem Khan (PTI), Abdul Majeed Khan (PTI), Ali Nawaz Awan (PTI) and Syed Agha Rafiullah (PPP) were told to not enter the precinct of the Parliament House till further orders.

The decision came after the NA turned into a battleground on Tuesday as the opposition and treasury members scuffled with each other and threw budget documents and books when the latter continued their noisy protest to disrupt Shehbaz's budget speech for a second consecutive day.

Qaiser suspended the proceedings of the House three times when the treasury members, led by some of the senior ministers who had come directly to the House after attending the weekly cabinet meeting, refused to pay heed to his directives to stay calm and kept on sloganeering, whistling and desk-thumping. Meanwhile, Shehbaz, who was surrounded by his party members to avoid any physical contact with the treasury MNAs, also continued his speech.

---

More to follow.

from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/3gHe7I0