The major opposition parties of Pakistan including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami Muslim League (AML) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have unanimously rejected the fifth federal budget presented by the ruling PML-N on Friday.
The opposition has called the budget a continuation of flawed economic policies of present government that will merely increase burden on poor and working class rather than giving them relief.
Opposition said that people have lost their hopes again as PML-N disappointed masses with the budget. Earlier, opposition said that in the economic survey 2017-18, the government has failed to achieve its own targets.
The PPP, PTI, MQM and JI legislators mainly criticised record high internal and foreign debts, trade deficit, falling exports and increasing imports, stagnant remittances, low foreign investments, bogus claims of self-reliance, levy of new surcharges on electricity and a significant increase in indirect taxation etc.
However, the opposition appreciated a 10 per cent ad hoc relief allowance for government employees but concluded it was not proportional to the increasing inflation rate and would benefit a small portion of the Pakistani population.
“It appears that on economic front the government has made no progress. After presenting its last budget, the government has stamped the fact that it is going to culminate its economic journey exactly at the same point from where it had started in 2013,” Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly and senior PPP leader Syed Khurshid Shah said.
“After security now the incumbent government has even become a threat to poor of Pakistan,” chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rashid said adding it was right time for poor of the country to come out and bury the corrupt and inept rulers under their own economic policies.
Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Senator Sirajul Haq said, ‘It is disappointing. Much needed relief package has not been announced for farmers. Budget statistics endorse the fact that education and health sectors are not on priority list. There is no incentive for poverty and inflation stricken common man’.
MQM leader Farooq Sattar said his party had expectations from current government’s last budget but it proved as traditional as the previous ones and in continuation of ongoing status quo on economic front.
“This year’s budget is a continuation of tale of atrocities and oppression inflicted on the economy and masses in the last four years by the PML-N government,” said PTI MNA Asad Umar commented.
“The ratio of sales tax has been slashed for a select group of influential individuals, while increased for the general public,” PPP Senator Rehman Malik said adding through budget the government had tried to deceive general public with numbers game.
The opposition lawmakers after the conclusion of budget speech of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the National Assembly on Friday evening were quick enough to appear at the rostrum placed in front of the Parliament House to record their reservations over what they dubbed ‘IMF-backed anti-poor and traditional’ budget for fiscal year 2017-18.
