PM to take decision on extension in Assets Declaration Scheme's deadline: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Saturday said the decision on extension in the deadline for Assets Declaration Scheme would be taken during meeting of Prime Minister Imran Khan with stakeholders on Sunday.

Speaking to media persons here outside the Parliament House flanked by Chief Whip of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Aamir Dogar, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Development and Reforms Kanwal Shauzab and others, she said the prime minister in that regard would chair a meeting to be attended by all the stakeholders, including representatives of chambers of commerce and industry.

The decision would be taken in the larger interest of the country, she added.

She congratulated the PTI's members of parliament and allied parties on the passage of the federal budget.

The PTI members, she said, countered the mafia who had decided that they would not let the treasury benches pass the budget but their moves were defeated.

Dr Firdous said the advisor on finance and his team would inform the nation in detail about the budget priorities.

She said the so-called opposition first stressed on issuance of production orders of some members. Later the nation saw that for those the production orders were issued, had spent most of their time in the lobbies of Parliament House in chit chat with their relatives and friends, and pursued their own personal agenda, she added.

The special assistant said the people came to know that the opposition was not concerned about their problems during the budget session.

Those, who got production orders, were absent from the parliament but remained in the limelight of media, she said, adding the opposition members spent time in the lobbies, took their daily and travel allowances, and went away from the parliament without taking up issues of the people of their constituencies.

She said Prime Minister Imran Khan in his speech in the National Assembly gave the vision and long term economic road-map of the government. Now the budget would be turned into reality according to his vision, she remarked.

Dr Firdous said the National Assembly speaker gave maximum time to the opposition to speak during the budget session and during debate on cut motions.

However, she added, the opposition used the time specified for debate on pursuing their personal agenda and not to mitigate the sufferings of public.

She said she heard that the leader of opposition in the National Assembly had decided to bring his successor for the chairmanship of Public Accounts Committee.

PTI's Chief Whip Aamir Dogar congratulated the nation on the passage of budget and thanked the allies of the government for taking part in the assembly session.

He said the debate during the budget session continued for record 56 hours and one of the sittings was 13 hours long.

He said the opposition did nothing but to indulge in point scoring and criticism for the sake of criticism. The opposition members used the parliament as a shield to hide their corruption.

He condemned the remarks of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari about Speaker Asad Qaiser, who ran the House according to rules and parliamentary traditions, and in a positive and dignified manner.

Dogar said the prime minister in his speech gave his vision to the nation. He met with the legislators from South Punjab and assured that steps would be taken to end backwardness and poverty in the region.

Committees were formed on agriculture and taxes to resolve problems of the business community and agriculturists, he noted.

He said the government and all sections of society had to move the country on the path of development.

He thanked the print and electronic media, including Associated Press of Pakistan and Pakistan Television, for comprehensive coverage of the budget session.