ISLAMABAD: The lone opposition party in the country – Pakistan Tehree-i-Insaf (PTI) on Friday rejected the budget presented by the coalition government and described it as jugglery of words having “no directions” which will only lead to more unemployment and poverty in the country.
The coalition government presented federal budget for the next fiscal year 2022-23 with an outlay of Rs9.5 trillion.
The federal government unveiled the budget amid strict conditions laid forth by the IMF for the revival of the $6 billion loan programme stalled for months over policy breaches.
In a video statement, PTI leader Hammad Azhar said the inflation will increase by 2%-3% in the country and the gross domestic product (GDP) will be halved — dropping from 6% to 2%-3%.
Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar ) explained why the budget by imported government will not provide relief to public! #شکریہ_عمران_خان pic.twitter.com/5CXUlQ3ykj
— PTI (@PTIofficial) June 10, 2022
Azhar, a former finance and energy minister, said there was “a lot of instability” in Pakistan’s economy and the country was on the brink of default — a notion that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail rejected a few days back.
“In the budget, we did not see the direction that we needed to take the country out of the economic crisis and clear the uncertainty that the incumbent government has created,” Azhar said, adding that Pakistan would face “more employment”.
Azhar said the budget was passed “in haste” and does not hold “any importance”.
Another PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry said the government unveiled a “people’s enemy” budget and the nation would deal with the rulers themselves.
ایکدن۔دوعدالتوں سے #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور
نے تحریک انصاف کی پنجاب سے ساری قیادت کو
جھوٹے مقدمات میں ملوث کردیا
عوام دشمن اورغریب کُش بجٹ کےبعدقوم نے انکاسیاپا کرنا ہے،دہشت گردی کے مقدمات قائم کرکے عوام سے دور کرنا چاہتے ہیں جو نہیں کرسکیں گے @PTIofficial @ImranKhanPTI— Senator Ejaz Chaudhary (@EjazChaudhary) June 10, 2022
PTI leader and ex-science minister Shibli Faraz said a “handicapped” Parliament did not have legal or moral grounds to present the country’s budget as they have “deteriorated” the economy within two months after coming into power.
“We reject this budget. Each day this government remains in power, it will be a burden on the masses. There is only one solution to this: hold early elections,” the ex-science and technology minister said.
عوام کی بنیادی ضروریات کی اشیاء کی قیمتوں میں اس ہفتے پچھلے سال کی نسبت 24 ٪ اضافہ… بجٹ آنے سے پہلے یہ حال ہے تو بجٹ کے بعد کیا ہو گا
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) June 10, 2022
Talking to journalists outside the Parliament, Senator Shahzad Waseem said since the incumbent government came into power, the price of petrol and all other essential commodities have increased.
“This budget does not have anything but sorrows for the people. A voice matters more than numbers in the Opposition. We will expose this government every day,” the PTI senator added.
PML-Q Senator Kamil Ali Agha, in a press conference, said today’s budget was just a “formality” as the coalition government has already increased the prices of all commodities.
“The [finance minister], in his speech, repeatedly mentioned that a common man will pay tax through their bills,” Agha added.
