• Opposition lawmakers term budget ‘unrealistic anti-people and anti-industry’
• Bill empowering ECP to appoint retired judges to election tribunals passed
• Lawmakers give themselves another raise, take away govt’s ability to control their salaries, perks
ISLAMABAD: Tensions gripped the National Assembly on Friday as the House passed the budget for the next fiscal year with some amendments. The motion, introduced by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, was preceded by fiery speeches from the opposition, who described the budget as unrealistic, anti-people, anti-industry, and anti-agriculture.
Opposition lawmakers, particularly from the PTI, criticised the budget, asserting that it was now an open secret that the document was dictated by the IMF. They accused the government of coming to power through electoral fraud and claimed it had no right to add to the miseries of the people.
Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan denounced the budget as “economic terrorism against the people”.
“The economic hitman has prepared the budget and the target are people of Pakistan,” he remarked. “Inflation will increase due to this budget. There will be no economic growth with this budget,” he said, predicting that electricity prices would go up to Rs100 per unit.
In his defence, Mr Aurangzeb highlighted that tax exemptions on medical surgery equipment, educational materials, cardiology stents, and items for the erstwhile Fata and........