While rejecting federal budget for fiscal year 2014-2015, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Sunday that the government has doubled electricity bills over the past year, yet the load shedding remains intact. He alleged that the budget is rich-centric and that the thieves are incentivized.
Khan said that the federal budget will spark an element of hatred among the smaller provinces against Punjab, adding that he has never seen a budget more incentivizing the rich.
He said that never has any budget benefited the rich like this one does, adding that the corrupt like those who have 200 billion rupees in Swiss bank accounts have been incentivized. PTI chief alleged that one family is running Pakistan, adding that this is not how democracy works.
He alleged that borrowings are being spent on Punjab, and that the government has brought the Karachi circular railway project to Lahore. He said that the electricity bills have been doubled yet the load shedding is intact. Khan claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s foreign travel expense is 43 lakh rupees per day.
“What benefit did Prime Minister’s foreign visits bring to common people?” he asked.
He said that the government should reduce its expenses and adopt austerity measures, adding that no foreign leader spends that much on foreign trips.
While presenting charter of demands, Khan said that the government must adopt austerity measures, General Sales Tax be reduced from 17% to 15%, pensions be raised, gas theft be prevented and reduced from 7% to 4%, corruption money be brought back from foreign banks, 30 lakh persons should be brought to the tax net, provinces’ share be increased in PSDP, independent bureau be made to monitor growth rate, electricity rates be reduced by 30% and 27% profit rate upon investment on coal projects be brought down to 20%.
PTI MNA Asad Umar flayed budget 2014-15 and termed the finance minister’s claims about economic growth as farce. He said that International Monetary Fund had rejected incumbent government’s statistics (4.1% GDP) and had declared 3.3 GDP growth in Pakistan, much less than Peoples Party led government’s 3.8% growth rate in recent past.
