Daily Times

PML-N senior leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal on Friday berated the PTI-led government for approving the supplementary bills, termed by the Opposition as ‘mini-budget’, and said that January 13 was the “darkest day in the history of Pakistan,” a private TV channel reported. Referring to Thursday when the National Assembly passed the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2021 and the supplementary finance bills with a majority vote, Abbasi – who was holding a press conference in Islamabad along with other party leaders, said that “January 13 was the darkest day for the Parliament as the bills were approved without any discussion.” He said over Rs 700 billion taxes were imposed on the nation by violating parliamentary rules, conventions and traditions, adding that Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser on the directions of Imran Khan and his cabinet, trampled upon all parliamentary rules, conventions and traditions. They ensured that the representatives of the people are not able to discuss Rs 700 billion taxes and couldn’t even vote on it, he added. The former prime minister said that bills being passed in the Senate without discussion is unprecedented, adding that, “Bills from NA session were approved in a haste and even the government was unable to elaborate the situation.” Talking about Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak’s brawl with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Abbasi said that it only happened over a “shortage of gas”.

Why has the government not bought Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) when the country is going through a gas crisis?” he questioned.

On the occasion, former finance minister and PML-N leader Miftah Ismail said that the IMF is asking to reduce the budget deficit but instead of taking austerity measures, the government decided to impose further taxes. Ismail said that in the supplementary bills, the incumbent government has imposed a tax on chicken feed as this step will ultimately increase chicken prices in the country too. “Tax on machinery and a 140% tax burden has also been imposed on pharmaceuticals,” he said.

PML-N Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal also spoke during the press conference and he also termed January 13 as the “darkest day of history”, saying that he begged before the NA speaker that the bill regarding the SBP is against Pakistan but it was approved “in violation of all the rules and regulations”.

Criticising the passage of the bill, Iqbal said: “Six months ago, the finance minister had painted a rosy picture about the country’s historic tax collection targets, but the government ended up economically suppressing the masses. “This is injustice with the people of Pakistan,” he said.