Punjab Assembly passes Rs 897.56 billion budget

Punjab Assembly passed Rs 897.56 billion budget for the next fiscal year here on Wednesday. The session was chaired by Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal. Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif stated that people had given a historic mandate to Pakistan Muslim League-N, adding that his party had 84 percent representation in the Punjab Assembly. Addressing the budgetary session, he said that the country was facing numerous problems, including persistent electricity shortages and terrorism.
He said that overcoming the energy crisis had become a critical issue. He said that energy crisis would be overcome through collective wisdom. Shahbaz Sharif said that there was electricity theft of Rs 207 billion in the country while billions of dollars were being spent on the import of oil, adding that the shortage of gas was also among major problems. He said that as long as these problems exist, the nation could make no progress and the begging bowl could not be broken. He said that loadshedding had also become a critical issue, adding that instead of overburdening the common man, his party's government had taken tough decisions for providing relief to the people.
The Chief Minister said that the Punjab government had allocated Rs 22 billion for overcoming the energy crisis. He said that energy projects would have to be implemented through public-private partnership. Shahbaz Sharif said that the conversion of street lights, offices, hospitals and educational institutions to solar energy was being considered.
Highlighting the importance of media, he said that it was impossible to march forward without paying attention to media reports. He said that sometimes media reports were correct and sometimes these highlighted other aspects. While talking to media persons outside the Punjab Assembly, Shahbaz Sharif said that the Punjab government had presented the best possible budget in a difficult situation. He said that no burden was put on the common man but elite had been brought into the tax net.
Replying to a query about instituting a treason case against Pervez Musharraf, the Chief Minister said that this case did not relate to the October 12, 1999 coup. He said that this case "relates to suo motu action taken by the Supreme Court" on arresting the judges. He said legal action against him should be taken against action taken by him on November 3, 2007, instead of taking action on his action on October 12, 1999.
He said PML-N believed in the supremacy of law and the Constitution. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was not vindictive and had no intention to take any action in reprisal against anyone. Earlier, the provincial health minister told media persons that Rs 7.53 billion had been set aside for emergency medicines, adding that the government was evolving a new health monitoring system for the province. The House was later adjourned till Thursday (today).