Opposition stages walkout from Senate against tax amnesty scheme

ISLAMABAD: The opposition staged a protest against government‘s tax amnesty scheme in the upper house of the parliament here on Thursday.

The leader of opposition Sherry Rehman, during the session, questioned that when there are only a few weeks left in completing of the tenure of the present government, why are these kinds of measures are being taken and when would the looting of public money be stopped?

She said that the nation should be told that why has the economic emergency being imposed in the country. Bringing mini-budget before annual budget is the sheer violation of the constitution, she said while adding that bill regarding tax amnesty is negating both houses of the parliament.

She criticised the government’s economic policy by saying that the government is running the country through SROs. “Why there was a need to bring an ordinance, when both the houses of parliament are functioning. A tax-related bill can be tabled in the parliament at the time of presenting the budget, she said.

On which the Chairman Senate told her that the sending the money bill to the Senate was the decision of National Assembly speaker.

On which the opposition leader said that the speaker had made an extraordinary decision. “We walk out from the session as a token of protest”, she added.

After the walkout, the Pakistan People’s Party’s Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar pointed out towards quorum after which the session was adjourned.