After over the week of the presentation of the first financial budget by the PTI government, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif finally spoke to the house on budget and brutally criticized the government for the measure taken. He clearly rejected the budget as he believed that it could increase the economic problems of the country and the measures are taken upon the dictation of the IMF to obtain the loan program.
He took the podium for over three hours while commenting on various topics including the government’s achievements, economic crisis, exchange rate, foreign debts, and the IMF loan program. He claimed that the revolutionizing claim of the government regarding the economy have failed, rather the policies of the government have caused damage to the business sector.
While commenting on the budget, he said, “We completely reject this budget. Budget is a sword of torture that is slitting the throat of the average man. If they were to make a people’s budget, there were five things that were important: employment opportunities, raising gross domestic product (GDP), increasing exports and trade, further reducing prices, and providing social and economic justice.” He suggested that there is still room for correction and the government can alter the budget according to the suggestions to obtain opposition’s confidence. The suggestion demands to cut down the indirect taxes imposed on various goods, higher increment in the salaries of government servants, tax incentives for oil/ghee manufacturers, reduction of electricity prices, increase in minimum wage rate, and extension of tax exemption limit to Rs.100,000.
Apart from the budgetary affairs, he used to podium to defend the previous rule of PML-N and their policies. He also blamed the government for targeting the opposition parties. “They can arrest the entire opposition. They can do their worse but we will oppose the anti-poor policies of this budget till the very last,” Shehbaz said.
Earlier his speech, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also spoke to the house, demanding to issue production orders of the detained MNA’s including his own father Asif Ali Zardari, Saad Rafique, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar. While the majority of the opposition is under arrest over corruption charges, representatives of PTM, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar were arrested for leading a mob who attacked Pak Army check post. It is not the first time that Bilawal had mentioned these two in good words while criticizing the government.
Despite the long speech, there was no disruption recorded and the proceeding went smooth.
