LAHORE: In line with the demand of the opposition parties, Punjab government on Monday announced to present the upcoming provincial budget for only four month, from July 2018 to October 2018.
While talking to media, Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah announced that the government had in principle decided to table the next budget for four months only. He said that the government would also introduce the proposed supplementary budget for fiscal year 2017-18 and get it passed before its term ends in May.
Talking to Daily Times, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker and Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed welcomed the PML-N government’s announcement of presenting budget for four months only. He said the opposition was united and it would oppose any attempt by the ruling PML-N government to present a development budget since it would be tantamount to indulging in pre-poll rigging.
On the issue of presentation of proposed supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2017-18, the opposition leader said that they would reject the move if funds of public interest projects were diverted to other initiatives.
Earlier, during the Punjab Assembly session, the opposition leader on a point of order strongly criticized disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif for appealing to the masses to give him another chance of ruling the country for next 10 years so that he could change the fate of the country. “He did not do anything in his last 35 years of rule, what can he do for the betterment of the country in future,” he wondered.The speaker muted the mike of Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed as he continued to criticize Nawaz Sharif, on which opposition pointed out the quorum and speaker adjourned the session till Wednesday at 10 am.
On a point of order, several opposition members including Sardar Shahbuddin and Faiza Malik of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Mian Aslam Iqbal and Arif Abbasi of PTI raised the issue of sugar mafia and wheat mafia refusing to pay small farmers. The speaker fixed a debate on the issue of sugarcane farmers on May 03 by calling food minister and the cane commissioner to the House. The legislators also highlighted the matter of shutter-down strike by medical stores. Provincial minister Khalil Tahir Sindhu and Zaeem Qadri assured the House that the issue would be resolved within a day or two.
Published in Daily Times, May 1st 2018.