ISLAMABAD: Syed Khurshid Shah of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – the minister for water resources in the coalition government – strongly protested on Wednesday over the absence of ministers and the prime minister from the budget session.
On the third day of the budget session, the house gave a deserted look as some backbenchers were present in the house while the ministers and those occupying the front row remained conspicuously absent.
This prompted Shah who said that except him, there was not a single minister in the house which was an insult to the parliament, adding “we make it to the house after making hectic efforts but once elected we don’t even bother to come to the house, which is appalling.”
He warned that his party would also boycott the session if that remained the situation, adding the prime minister who was the leader of the house should ensure his presence during an all-important budget session.
The lack of interest by lawmakers has become a routine matter since the start of the debate on budget 2022-23 with neither MNAs nor ministers showing any interest – something which is happening due to the absence of a vibrant opposition in the house after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a party with majority seats, had resigned from the house en masse in protest against the ouster of Imran Khan as prime minister.
The MNAs who participated in the debate called for giving a boost to industrial and agricultural production, keeping in view the international market standards and requirements, to put the economy on a consistent path of development.
They were of the view that there should be a focus on export-oriented production as the country had immense potential in industrial and agricultural sectors to get due share in world markets.
Saira Bano of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) blasted the coalition government for boasting on a Rs2,000 fuel subsidy to the deserving people and the subsidy to the cinema industry.
“The religious affairs could be seen making claims but where has he been hiding when there is no subsidy for intending pilgrims and a massive relief to the film industry,” she questioned.
She said the “Gappa Gotala” of 13 parties had ruined the country as there was no one to question them, adding the ministers of the coalition regime dash off to foreign countries for “begging” by donning Gucci and Armani brands which was shameful.
“Stop making tall claims about austerity as you are the people who went to perform Hajj with a huge entourage at the taxpayers’ money. And when you talk about the prestige of the state institution, oh, come on! what have you done to uphold the prestige of this institution [parliament]!” she lamented.
Sabir Kaimkhani of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) stressed the need for increasing the industrial and agricultural production and their export after value addition to build up the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
He said Pakistan should have signed agreements with potential countries to boost its exports instead of getting loans aimed at achieving sustainable economic growth.
“There should at least be the presence of officials of all ministries in the galleries to note budgetary proposals for due consideration,” he added.
He said that a number of countries had taken loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other financial institutions and attained development, but it was unfortunate that in Pakistan the acquired loans could not be judiciously utilised for the betterment of the masses.
Barjees Tahir of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said that an agrarian country like Pakistan was facing food security challenges due to the flawed economic policies of the PTI government.
He said the coalition government had prepared the fiscal plan in consultation with its allies to lessen the financial sufferings of the common man.
He said Pakistan was among 10 top wheat producing countries, eight rice producers, five grain, and three dates producers, adding the country had also enormous minerals and hydrocarbon potential that needed to be exploited and utilized in a sensible way.
He showed optimism that Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams would be completed in the next two years which would help in meeting the irrigation and electricity generation requirements of the country.
Mustafa Mehmud of PPP stressed the need for making appropriate measures for addressing climate change issues, which were posing serious threats, particularly to the agriculture sector.
He said due to international challenges, inflation had gone up especially, the Russia-Ukraine conflict that disrupted a global supply chain of different commodities.
He said restoring investors’ confidence in the government’s economic policies, increasing savings and discouraging was imperative to achieve the targets set in the budget.
Noorul Hassan of the PML-N criticized the policies of the PTI government and said the people had pinned high hopes on the coalition government.
Overseas Pakistanis were playing an important role in the economic development and social prosperity of the country, he said, adding the government should provide special facilities to them.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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