Daily Times

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on Wednesday passed the budget for fiscal year 2019-20 despite ruckus by opposition in the assembly. On June 18, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government had unveiled a new surplus budget for the fiscal year 2019-20 with a record outlay of over Rs 900 billion. At the beginning of the budget session of the assembly, the opposition started chanting slogans to halt the government from passing the budget. PPP member Nighat Orakzai exchanged barbs with Provincial Minister Sheram Turkai. The speaker continued the proceeding of the assembly despite the opposition’s protest and the budget was passed. The KP government had reduced salaries of cabinet members by 12 percent as part of the austerity measures in the budget.

Presenting the budget, Finance Minister Taimur Saleem had said that Rs 180 billion had been allocated for the Annual Development Programme, which was a record. It may be recalled that opposition in the KP assembly had also recorded their strong protest on June 18, the day the provincial budget was presented in the assembly.