Members of the National Assembly suggested on Saturday that the government address economic disparities between the provinces and create job opportunities for the youth to rid the country of terrorism and extremism.
The Lower House resumed general discussion on the federal budget 2014-15, in which opposition members urged the government to rationalise non-development expenditures to avoid burden on the national exchequer.
Participating in the discussion, Ameerullah Marwat of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged that the government’s proposed privatisation process would have to face many hindrances and feared that the government would have to take more loans from the International Monetary Fund to pay back liabilities like Eurobond.
He said that the 10 per cent increase in salaries and pensions was insufficient in comparison with the inflation rate.
He said a neutral and competent person should be appointed as Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) chairman to avoid further controversies.
PTI’s Murad Saeed said that terrorism and extremism cannot be addressed until economic and social disparities are removed. He also urged the government to slash its non-development expenditures. Saeed observed that in the federal budget, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan had been ignored.
Abdul Qahar Wadan of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) said that water accord and NFC should be designed in accordance with the 18th Amendment to address reservations of the provinces.
He said the reason for poor agricultural performance was that thousands of acres of land were lying barren in Balochistan due to lack of water and power infrastructure.
He said the government should give priority to hydel and coal power generation projects as Balochistan had huge potential for both.
He opined that Pakistan only has the capacity to preserve water to fulfil its needs for mere 30 days.
Abdul Wasim of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) viewed that indirect taxes would increase inflation and consequently corruption.
He said that education should be the top priority of the government and that unemployed youth should be given easy loans to help them earn sustenance.
He suggested that FATA, Hazara and South Punjab should be made provinces to address the basic issues of the people and create more job opportunities for them.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Nafisa Shah claimed that the proposed budget contained constitutional violations as it showed Rs 289 billion provincial surplus without prior consent of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), and asked the government whether the amount would be deducted from provinces’ budgets.
Shah claimed that despite being aware of the law and order situation, the government had made no allocation for National Counter Terrorism Authority and a rapid response force.
She proposed that the governments invest in agriculture sector and uplift rural areas to discourage urbanisation.
Siraj Muhammad Khan of PTI said that overseas Pakistanis should be offered facilities on arrival.
“A person sending remittances beyond a certain limit should be provided a plot on concessional rates in Overseas Housing Society,” he said.
Termed the budget as a replica of previous budgets, Aasiya Nasir of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) criticised the fact that the budget made no allocation for welfare projects for minorities.
“In KP, minorities have been ignored,” she said.
She was of the view that contractual employees should not be sacked from government jobs.
MQM leader Sardar Nabeel Ahmed Gabol demanded extermination of shanty towns from various areas of Karachi to check the sanctuaries of terrorists.
“Mega projects, including Metro bus service should also be initiated in Karachi,” he said.
He said that MQM fully supports Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to complete its five-year tenure.
Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan of MQM said that a housing scheme should be introduced for overseas Pakistanis and opposed the privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills.
Dr Azhar Jadoon criticised the budget and demanded the creation of a separate province, Hazara.
Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar vowed to create a separate province,Hazara, and assured Jadoon of his support.
He said that Haraza highway would be inaugurated on August 14 this year.
Khalil George of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) appreciated the laptop, youth loan, Apna Ghar schemes and the increase in funds allocated for major cities in the budget.
Shahjehan Mangrio of PML-N appreciated the revolutionary measures announced in budget.
She demanded the provision of clean drinking water in cities of Sindh.
Tahira Aurangzeb of the PML-N termed the budget 2014-15 as exemplary in current circumstances.
She said that the prices of essential items in Punjab have been curtailed through good governance, adding that the government has introduced reforms in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan Railways and other institutions.
PML-N’s Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry said that Pakistan has the best banking system in the world.
Expressing concerns over cut in National Internship Programme funds, he said the programme should be provided more funds.
Basic amenities should be provided to rural areas to check migration to cities, he said.
Dr Nisar Ahmed Jatt of PML-N said the country’s economy has been put on right track within a period of one year.
He said the government and opposition should join hands to make the country prosperous.
