Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Shehbaz Sharif delivered speech in the House on Wednesday, which was heard by both the opposition and government benches.

He criticized the PTI’s ten-month performance in government saying the price hike has added to the woes of the common man. He said the PTI had made big claims of turning around the economy and bringing revolution in the lives of people but it failed to deliver. He said the government’s policies have resulted in the closure of factories and industries which have rendered millions of people jobless.

During over hour-long negotiations between the government and the opposition representatives, the two sides agreed that they would listen to the speeches of each other with patience and without creating disturbances. They also reached an understanding that a treasury member would be given the opportunity to speak after every speech of an opposition member.

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari spoke briefly at the start of today’s session, urging Speaker Asad Qaiser once again to issue the production orders for former president Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N’s Saad Rafique, and North Waziristan MNAs Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar.

Shahbaz began his speech by first addressing the chaos the assembly had witnessed in its last three sessions, expressing regret over “wasting days”. “It [the pandemonium] was against the traditions of this house, it does not add to its glory.”

“They have received votes from the people to represent their demands. You are the custodian of this house, you have a big responsibility to ensure their presence under the powers given to you, that they are able to come here and represent their constituencies,” said the opposition leader while addressing Speaker Qaiser.

Finally coming to the budget, Shahbaz said that it had only brought a message of a disappointment for the people.

“We completely reject this budget. Budget is a sword of torture that is slitting the throat of the average man.

“If they were to make a people’s budget, there were five things that were important: employment opportunities, raising gross domestic product (GDP), increasing exports and trade, further reducing prices, and providing social and economic justice.

The opposition leader said that at the end of the financial year, the government had a Rs500 billion hole in their revenue target.

He said that the budget was ” International Monetary Fund (IMF) led and IMF dictated”.

“Those who had come to create a naya Pakistan and to turn Pakistan into heaven have taken it towards economic hell through these bad steps.”

Shahbaz said that the current government had presented two mini-budgets in the financial year, adding that after that they would go to the IMF and said they can’t fulfil their targets and ask for exemptions.

“They will then compromise on such tough national interests that the economic and political situation of Pakistan will further worsen.”

While speaking on the budget he added;

“Whenever a budget was presented, some segments were happy, others were unhappy. This is the first instance that the poor are strongly protesting,” alleged the opposition leader as he continued uninterrupted.

“Widows are saying that their stoves have no gas […] while even the rich, the traders, and shopkeepers are also feeling the pressure. The entire economy has been destroyed.

“This is the situation in not a year, but in a mere ten months. Everything is sky-high, the dollar has reached the sky. On the last day of our tenure, the rupee was 115 against the US dollar.

“God forbid, when I finish my address, the dollar will be at 170.

On a point of order, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari demanded that the production orders of the detained elected representatives including former President Asif Ali Zardari be issued so that they could participate in the budget session.

Shahbaz Sharif delivered his speech, primarily criticising the deteriorating economic condition of the country.

Opposition leader Sharif said that the PTI will go to the International Monetary Fund every three months, however, in the past, they vowed not to ever approach the global finance body.

He said that PTI leaders alleged that the agreement has a huge interest in it while they didn’t know it was a direct investment in the power sector.

Shehbaz Sharif said that when the PML-N got into power, the inflation rate was 12 percent and they reduced it to three percent with endless hard work.

He said that the PML-N government focused on education, building 40 universities, and increasing the budget for higher education commission to Rs47 billion.

Shahbaz Sharif said that the poor of the country are also protesting and want to know why free medicines are not being provided.

The house also offered fateha for the departed soul of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.