ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Khawaja Asif, on Monday forewarned of a mini-budget with more taxes on the poor masses as the Budget for 2020-2021 was a "temporary one".

Initiating debate on Budget 2020-2021 in the absence of the opposition leader in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, who is in self-isolation after being tested positive for Covid-19, Asif took a jibe at top government officials and some ministers having coveted slots in various state-run institutions as "mercenaries" of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"There will be a mini-budget and more taxes will be imposed...these are mercenaries; why are they brought [to power]," he added.

Asif paid rich tributes to healthcare professionals for their sacrifices in dealing with the Covid-19 patients by risking their lives, but flayed the government for its "flawed policies" and "inadequate arrangements" to contain the spread of the virus.

"The ruling PTI is drawing back economically [but] in fact, it has acknowledged defeat without saying it publicly," he added.

Comparing the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's performance with that of his party rule from 2013 to 2018, he said growth in gross domestic product (GDP), agriculture, large-scale manufacturing, industrial, and service sectors were 5.5pc, 4pc, 5pc, 4.9pc, and 6.2pc, respectively and the same under Prime Minister Imran Khan's "Naya Pakistan", however, were -0.4pc, 2.7pc, -0.78pc, -2.6pc, and -0.6pc, respectively, Asif declared.

Similarly, tax collection, inflation, gross public debt, debt-to-GDP ratio, and exports were Rs3,842 billion, 3.9pc, Rs24,953 billion, 72.1pc, Rs24.8 billion, respectively, during Nawaz Sharif's era, and Rs3,844 billion, 11.2pc, Rs35,207 billion, 85.0pc, Rs19.7 billion, respectively, during PM Khan's tenure.

The fiscal deficit-to-GDP ratio, public sector development programme (PSDP), the government's running expenditures, and unemployment were -6.6pc, Rs750 billion, Rs402 billion, and 5.8pc, respectively, during the PML-N tenure, whereas the same under PM Khan's administration were -9.2pc, Rs623 billion, Rs475 billion, and 8.5pc, respectively. "All these figures are enough to explain everything," he said, adding joblessness was rising and millions of people were becoming jobless.

"Imran Khan was brought with great desire and pampering." On the government's running expenditures, the PML-N stalwart said that the Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar, had claimed umpteen times that it would be reduced, but he contended the PSDP was a stimulus for economic activity, and millions of people were becoming unemployed.

"The government officials made tall claims in the past, and even today, while presenting the budget, they claimed that the budget was transparent and corruption-free," he added.

Asif said PM Khan had earlier vowed not to borrow any loan from the IMF and other international monetary institutions as well as dubbing amnesty schemes a facility to oblige thieves but did everything, which he had been negating and cursing.

He said the government should have benefited from the falling interest rate but Pakistan "incurred a loss of about Rs1.5-1.7 trillion on interest rate".

The former foreign minister demanded that "the undertakers of country's current economy, Dr Hafeez Shaikh and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor [Reza Baqir] should be put on the ECL [exit control list], saying both should be given targets and sign performance bonds."

"Don't make a mess out of country's economy. The ordeal of corruption goes on unabetted," he added.

Asif also called for aiding the public servants during the pandemic. "You should have compensated the government employees during these times of crisis. They work hard day and night. They have abandoned our years-long practice," he said.

Asif said, while the list of corruption and accountability claims against the PPP and the PML-N was quite long, "no attention is given to foreign funding and the BRT cases."

"There will be a time, when the incumbent government will become a liability for their voters and sponsors. Stop blaming the coronavirus for all your mishaps; the situation had slipped out of hand even before that." "They have taken stay order against foreign funding. They used to blame Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Saad Rafique in the past, and now they have taken the stay order to hide their discrepancies," he added.

Responding to Asif's speech, the Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, in a hard-hitting speech said: "Nawaz Sharif used to call fascist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visits to Pakistan, which ended with PTI taking the reins of power."

Giving the example of India, the minister said the country had 653 coronavirus cases as of March 25 and then, in June, they said that they could not control the situation despite a lockdown and more than 100,000 infections were reported.

More than 5,500 people had lost their lives due to coronavirus during the strict lockdown, he noted.

"The lockdown is an ineffective policy and a menace for developing nations like Pakistan," he stressed, adding that an Indian minister had said Modi inflicted an unprecedented damage on the economy by pushing millions below the poverty line.

Responding to the PML-N leader's suggestion to prevent Shaikh, the PM's finance adviser, and SBP Governor Dr Baqir from leaving the country, he said: "I have stopped believing in the ECL now."

He also refuting the Imperial College London's report, saying the forecasts made by the Pakistani scientists portrayed a completely different picture.

He said the PML-N leader had in the past alleged that Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre was a fraud, and "it generated the most funds that year, people donated the most that year". "They are projecting that the PTI's popularity has ended now but the picture is completely opposite. Foreign investments and reserves have increased but Khawaja Asif did not talk about that."

"We have improved the annual exports with 4pc and 11pc, according to the latest figures. A 2.8pc increase in agricultural sector was recorded before Covid-19 hit the country," the minister added.

Asif, he added, misquoted the figures about the PSDP, adding the PML-N leader raised an important question about hot money and being the supreme power, the Parliament should know about the facts.

"PM Imran Khan responded to the Supreme Court's questions about his assets for eight months and was declared "honest and truthful" after the investigation," he said.

Talking about the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and its functioning, the minister said that the national corruption watchdog was running according to the laws framed by the PML-N, while its chief was also appointed by the same party.

"Stop blaming Imran Khan for everything," he retorted. Referring to the projects to be executed in Karachi, Umar said the green line project would be completed this year, while the first phase of Karachi Circular Railway would be started this year. He said that work on Rs206 billion Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project would also be started, and Rs50 billion had been allocated for the project this year.

He said the K-4 water project would also be executed with the cooperation of Sindh government. The minister said credit also goes to the present government for simultaneously initiating work on three major hydel projects including Diamer Bhasha, Dasu, and Mohmand dams.