ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties on Sunday rejected the federal government’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, saying that it has failed on every account to address adequately the challenges to posed by a global pandemic to Pakistan, along with rampant inflation, endemic unemployment, collapsing industry, shrinking agriculture, a deadly locust invasion, and ongoing global economic shocks.
In a joint statement issued from Sindh House, Islamabad, Leader of the Opposition and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, leaders of Jammat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), National Party (NP) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government had miserably failed in providing relief to Pakistanis when they needed it the most. The budget fails to provide for protecting the lives, economic future, and livelihoods of the Pakistani people, they added.
Separately, the opposition leaders also held a press conference in Islamabad where they made the announcement and presented their resolution. Speaking alongside PML-N’s Khawaja Asif and JI’s Mian Aslam, Bilawal said the “united opposition” has rejected the government’s budget and has issued a joint statement in this regard.
The PPP, PML-N, JI, JUI-F, ANP, BNP-M, NP, QWP and some of our independent friends in the National Assembly have rejected this budget, he said.
“This budget has united the people against the government. We had thought that the budget would help protect the people’s economic rights. Instead of doing that, it has added to their burden,” Bilawal said, adding that the government’s unexpected decision to increase the prices of all petroleum products by up to nearly Rs26, was an “excellent example of this government’s hypocrisy”.
Responding to a question, Bilawal said that the opposition had played a “responsible role” so far. “When the pandemic hit, we said we will keep partisan issues aside and fight it together. Three to four months have passed and this is still our stance, but the prime minister has not taken this seriously. Before the pandemic, he was a threat to our democracy and economy. Now, he is a threat to people’s lives and their economic prosperity,” he said.
The PPP chief also said that the PTI lacked the leadership needed to combat the pandemic. “You need to have an ‘above politics’ view […] the PTI doesn’t have such leadership, and citizens are suffering as a result,” he said.
Bilawal also said that leader of the opposition was in contact with all parties despite having the coronavirus. He said that an All Parties Conference (APC) will be announced as soon as Shehbaz recovers. “Even when sick, Shehbaz is making Imran sweat,” he said.
He further said that if the government had paid heed to the advice of doctors and other international bodies, the country may have been spared from Covid-19. “The only way to solve the country’s problems is through democracy […] not with selected consensus. As long as Imran is premier, we are headed towards disaster,” he added.
Representing the PML-N, Khawaja Asif reiterated that instead of providing people some relief during this difficult time, the government had added to people’s difficulties.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan has become a national liability. As long as he is the premier, we are headed towards disaster. The sooner we get rid of him, the more chances we have of salvaging the situation,” he said, adding that they will formulate a joint strategy in this regard.
He stated that the manner in which the government’s coalition partners were abandoning ship was a sign that its end was near.
He added that that a government that used state institutions to target the opposition was “cowardly”, adding that it was now time for them to be held accountable.
