LAHORE: Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman stated on Wednesday that the era of past corruption has concluded, and now, under the leadership of Maryam Nawaz, there will be development and progress.

Concluding the budget discussion in the Punjab Assembly, Mujtaba Shuja mentioned that the opposition once again critiqued the budget. The opposition demanded the safe return of Mian Aslam Iqbal to the assembly and the issuance of a production order for Ahmar Rashid Bhatti. Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Zaheer Iqbal Channar, chaired the session.

The budget debate, spanning five days, saw participation from all 160 members. Summing up the budget debate, the Finance Minister stated that the PTI government came into power in 2018 after allegedly usurping the people’s mandate. He also noted Pakistan’s ranking of 142 in corruption worldwide, adding PML-N allocated Rs 635 billion for the development sector in their last budget.

The Finance Minister accused former Chief Minister Punjab, Pervez Elahi, and former Punjab Assembly Secretary, Muhammad Khan Bhatti, of granting charters to universities in exchange for bribes. “However, under the leadership of Maryam Nawaz, Punjab is expected to progress. Education and health in southern Punjab is our priority,” he added.

Opposition member Rana Aftab stated that leaders should be informed about case details, and they are ready to provide guarantees. Government and opposition members in the assembly expressed their views on various budget aspects and provided recommendations. The session adjourned until Thursday morning at 10 o’clock after completing the agenda.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024