ISLAMABAD: The opposition made abortive attempt on Thursday to block the mini budget presented in the National Assembly here.
As soon as Finance minister, Shaukat Tarin stood up from his seat to present the bill for amendment in Finance Bill 2021, the opposition members sprang- up from their seats for protest against it. When the minister tabled the bill, the opposition members started to chant solgans of No, No , Go Imran, Go Imran. A number of opposition members littered copies of the presented bill in the house. Some opposition members had scuffle with treasury members during the protest in the national assembly also.
Khawaja Asif roared in his full voice in his address to the house . He said ,” Do not sell national sovereignty for loan, I warn you your action will result in compromising the national security”. He said you are selling Pakistan sovereignty to the International Monetory Fund (IMF) “I ask you do not do it”. He warned the treasury benches. He added that the government was handing over control of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to IMF.
Former prime minister and Pakistan People Party (PPP) leader, Raja Pervez Ashraf said the Pakistan Tehreek# e- Insaf (PTI) government was discrediting the parliament by its show of force. He said the government was making the people’s lives miserable by imposing unprecedented price -hike on them . He said the government should not go for those steps which make Pakistan’s sovereignty vulnerable .
Naveed Qamar in his address said the introduction of mini- budget was alarming. He demanded of the government to share the reasons with opposition which forced it to bring mini budget.
Hafiz Saad of Jamiat Ulema- e- Islam ((JUI) Fazal called the government decision of introducing mini budget as shameful. He said the opposition will keep fighting for the rights of the people in the parliament.PMLN chief and
opposition leader in the national assembly issued a statement in the evening wherein he said the government decision of loading taxes and withdrawal of exemptions in mini budget will open- up a new floodgate of price-hike in the country.
