ISLAMABAD: Categorically opposing the trial of civilians under the Pakistan Army Act, treasury Senator and former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani said in the Senate on Tuesday that the “failed experiments from the past should not be repeated.”

“Trying the civilians under the military laws — these experiments have not worked in the past. They will not work again. The failed experiments from the past should not be repeated,” Rabbani said on the floor of the house.

The senator from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said stern action should be taken against those involved in ‘May 9 violence’.

However, he said, there is no justification to put civilians to trial under Pakistan Army Act and Officials Secret Act.

He dubbed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) a “part of international imperialist powers” — expressing concern that an agreement between Pakistan and the IMF might not be arrived at on account of “unique” conditions set by the world monetary body.

“Every time its prior conditions are met, the IMF extends the goalpost,” Rabbani stated at the Senate’s budget session. “Pakistan needs to be liberated from the trap of IMF and internationalist imperialists — the IMF seems to be part of the international imperialist powers,” he said.

“The new federal budget is unique in many ways, but IMF is also setting unique conditions,” he said.

Rabbani argued that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was put on backburner as part of a well-thought-out plan by launching an orchestrated campaign against the CPEC.

The former chairman Senate opined the increase in EOBI (Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution) pension is not enough. He demanded that EOBI pension should be increased by 10,000 rupees per pensioner in the upcoming fiscal year 2023-24.

Humayun Mohmand from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) slammed the federal government for “plunging the country into economic debacle in the last one year.”

He said that the government failed to make economic progress in any field and all the sectors were witnessing massive deterioration in their performance. He recommended setting up a track and trace system to expand tax net and take on tax evasion.

Irfan Siddiqui from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) passed the buck on former federal government of PTI for the economic debacle the country is presently faced with. He even appreciated the federal coalition government for preparing a “balanced budget under very difficult circumstances.”

Meanwhile, the PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) senators staged a walkout from Senate over “undemocratic measures to influence the election of mayor Karachi”.

The house was adjourned till Thursday.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023