KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly’s pre-budget session on Thursday saw a political slugfest, as the opposition accused the PPP of corrupt practices while the treasury criticised PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Haleem Adil Sheikh, PTI’s legislator and opposition leader in the house, cried foul over Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani’s decision of not issuing production orders for his party’s two jailed lawmakers.

He regretted the violence and heavy handedness of police at Zaman Park and killing of his party's worker, saying that it shouldn't have happened.

He also slammed shelling and firing at Imran Khan’s house in Lahore. He also criticised the government for rising food inflation.

He mentioned petrol prices increased to Rs 272 per litre from Rs 150, broiler chicken being available at Rs 750 per kg. He alleged that corruption has left Sindh destroyed and underdeveloped.

Sindh Labour Minister, Saeed Ghani alleged Imran Khan of a wristwatch theft, saying that he submitted a “fake” receipt of purchase. He also demanded for a transparent census in the province.

He said that the current fiscal year has been hard for the public because of the flood, which also left millions of people homeless in Sindh. The government plans to rehabilitate the flood affectees at earliest, he added.

The minister told the house that the affected section of society cannot be rehabilitated without the international community's financial help since the government lacks funds.

Explaining his department’s performance, he said that the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) has organised medical camps in eight districts and examined over 27,000 patients and provided them with free medicines as well.

MQM’s Muhammad Hussain asked the government to arrest the growing inflation, which burdened each household with an additional Rs 15,000 expenses. He demanded for an increase in salaries proportional to the surging inflation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023