Bilawal wants next budget to focus on Covid-19

Author: inp

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Wednesday said that the country has to fight the Covid-19 challenge on both health and economic fronts.

Talking to media here at Parliament House, Bilawal said it is the responsibility of the government to take steps to contain the pandemic as well as ensure economic stability in the country. He said the relief package announced by the government is nothing but ‘gimmickry’. “Government announced Rs 1.2 trillion relief package but when you go into details, it is revealed that all that amount was already budgeted. They used BISP budget in the name of Ehsaas programme,” he said, adding that tax refunds to the business community has also been made a part of the package which was already due. “Ironically, wheat procurement is also part of this package,” he added.

The PPP chairman said the government did not announce any relief package for the medical workers who are fighting on the frontline. He suggested to the government to turn the upcoming budget into Covid-19 budget. “We have to focus on agriculture sector because food security is an issue now for the entire world. This government had said after Covid-19 outbreak that they will announce an agriculture package, but still there is no sign of it,” he said.