The National Assembly on Monday passed the Finance Bill 2020 to approve the budgetary proposals for the next fiscal year.
Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar had presented the Rs7.14 trillion budget for fiscal 2020-21 on June 12. The Lower House deliberated on the bill before it was put to vote and ultimately passed.
Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived at the session where the clause-wise amendments to the Finance Bill began in order to sail it through the House. As the process began, the NA speaker Asad Qaiser said that any amendment to remove an entire clause will not be acceptable.
Earlier, while addressing the parliament, Minster for Industries Hammad Azhar said today’s session was meant to move amendments to the finance bill and pass it, yet the opposition was resorting to personal attacks.
He accused the opposition of shouting “na manzoor” (unacceptable) even before the budget was presented in the parliament.
On Sunday, all the major opposition parties unanimously rejected Budget 2020. According to the opposition, the budget has failed to address economic challenges and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has been unable to provide relief to the general public.