‘Budget’s alright but could have been better’

• MNAs ask for more developments in Sindh, better accommodation for IDPs, laud government’s youth-oriented schemes which they say will help eliminate terrorism

ISLAMABAD

APP

Resuming general discussion on budget 2014-15 in National Assembly (NA) Tuesday, NA members lauded government’s youth-oriented schemes and opined that such projects would help eliminate terrorism and extremism from the country by engaging youth in constructive activities.

Resuming the debate on budget, Maulana Jamaluddin of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) said that stranded people of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) should be allowed to go to safer places.

The government must also ensure royalty to the victims of Gomal Zam Dam, he added.

Syed Mustafa Mehmood of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) criticised the government for not proposing any reforms in the budget. He opined that the Waziristan operation should have been initiated much earlier.

Maryam Aurangzeb of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) praised the budget and steps initiated in it. She said that Prime Minister’s Youth Programme would help exterminating terrorism and engaging country’s youth in positive activities.

Mujahid Ali of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) criticised the budget saying it was anti-poor budget. He demanded basic amenities in camps of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Abdul Rashid Godel of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) lauded allocations to overcome energy crisis. He criticised the budget asking withdrawal of turnover tax on edible items and making withholding tax ratio adjustable in income tax. He said Karachi should be provided more funds for uplift and demanded local government elections in the country, adding that 10 percent increase should be merged in their basic salary.

Nawab Yousaf Talpur of PPPP said that over 60 percent population of the country had plunged under the poverty line. The member of Sindh province should be appointed in Indus River System Authority (IRSA) and that Sindh should be given water from Mangla Dam. He alleged that fewer funds have been allocated to various mega projects of Sindh as compared to other provinces.

Ghaus Bux Mehr of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional said that budget manifested the government’s intention and added that Rangers should be deployed in Shikarpur area as incidents of kidnapping for ransom were increasing.

Mehr said Sindh areas were mainly dependent on irrigation but the federal government provided no fund for the irrigation project. He called for just allocation of funds among the provinces to avoid differences among the federating units, adding that Karachi-Lahore Motorway should be started from Karachi.

Moreover, he said that Sindh Assembly has passed an amendment setting 17-year age for the wedding and questioned as to why it was different from the recommendation of the Council of Islamic Ideology opposing any limit for marriage.

In the meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal said that security and defence matters always captured major chunk of the federal budget, though every parliamentarian desired otherwise. He said that energy was vital for national economy and said that the opposition parties should not adopt biased approach towards dams as it would ensure country’s deliverance from power crisis.

Regarding allegation of rigging in four constituencies, he said the respective candidates also gad the right to defend their position. He said the PTI has failed to address longstanding issues faced by the KP province, adding that the party could not execute the commitments it had made during the electioneering.