Osman Saifullah Khan says budget seems to be for two
Pakistans – one gets all and other gets nothing
ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Wednesday told the government that its attitude of bypassing parliament was inappropriate.
He advised the government to see in which direction the wind was blowing, as he asked it to strengthen parliament, for the real power lies in it.
Opposition senators wondered how could the government make a budget without having any idea about Pakistan’s exact population, as they asked the government to conduct the national census, but lamented no allocation was made in the budget for this purpose.
“Just see the two events of yesterday. They are enough to give a message to the government that to which direction the wind is blowing,” Rabbani asserted without explaining what events he was referring to. He noted that the government should not bypass the legislature or sidetrack it.
Rabbani quipped, while addressing the Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch, “Parliament is your strength. You have to again return to it. It guarantees your strength.”
He also asked Minister for Ports and Shipping Hasil Bizenjo to also make the government understand the situation as to which direction the wind was blowing presently, who also stood up to emphasise on giving due weight to parliament and the committee of the whole.
Both the treasury and opposition senators, during the debate on budget, urged the government to allocate enough funds for the Western Route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and also pay attention more on agriculture, which provided jobs to over 40 per cent of Pakistan’s population.
“The Senate Committee of the Whole furnished recommendations on Fata reforms, which have been totally overlooked by the government, whereas the panel formed by an executive order does not even have representation from Fata,” he argued.
He made it clear that parliament would resist, if an attempt would be made to undermine it. He said that the government had the right to form its own committee, but it should not ignore the committee of the whole.
The Senate chairman gave this ruling when the minister responded to a calling attention notice by the PML-N Abdul Qayyum towards the delay in finalisation and implementation of much-needed reforms.
The minister told the House that the committee headed by Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz was finalising recommendations for reforms in Fata.
Baloch said these recommendations would soon be presented before the prime minister as well as parliament for approval, adding a grand jirga might also be convened in order to get final approval of the reforms package from the tribal elders.
However, on the remarks made by the chair, the minister assured him that the government would take into account the committee’s recommendations too and the parliament was not at all being ignored. “The final recommendations on Fata will be submitted to the Parliament for approval,” he said.
Fata Senator Hidayat Ullah, who sits on the treasury benches, taking part in the budget debate, lamented the Rs. 21 billion allocations made for Fata were not enough, as over Rs. 16 billion would be spent on the on-going projects and hence, the remaining was too paltry, in view of unprecedented devastation caused by militancy and other events in the region over the years.
“It is a challenge to resettle 4 million Fata people. Education sector, health cover no more exists and there are no job opportunities for people of the region,” he pointed out.
He called for making CPEC a game-changer in real terms and complained that he hardly saw any work on Gawadar, when he recently visited the port. He also advocated according preference to the western route.
“We are not demanding metro or orange trains but normal schools in Fata and basic needs of life there. In my area, there are around 280 kids in one class in schools,” he lamented.
PPP’s Osman Saifullah Khan pointed out that Pakistan faced two major challenges: increasing unemployment, inequality in distribution of resources among provinces and regions and there was no way out mentioned in the budget. “It appears the budget is meant for any other country,” he remarked.
He said that some sectors had shown good results but these were to the benefit of a particular class of people. He added the federal budget was as if for two Pakistans: one will get all possible resources for a few big cities and districts and the rest will be ignored.
In this connection, he pointed out that for both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, loans to the tune of Rs. 65 billion given, whereas for Islamabad alone, Rs. 386 billion loans doled out.
To the surprise of many, he revealed that in the last two years, not a single gas or power connection was given to any industry, asking how would you generate an economic activity in such scenario.
He made it clear that without elimination of terrorism and restoration of peace, there was hardly any possibility of economic development and turn-around. He decried the fact that the government had failed even to give a new NFC so far.
PML-N’s Abdul Qayyum hailed the package for kissan but insisted more should be done to boost the agriculture sector, which faced disastrous situation. He also called for paying attention to alarming drop in exports. He lauded the government on increasing foreign exchange reserves, controlling inflation and also reducing load-shedding.
But the senator wanted a comprehensive strategy for the bleeding state-owned enterprises, including Pakistan Steel Mills. He lamented that though GDP target could not be achieved, yet it was highest in the last 8 years.
He asked the government to take care of sustainable development goals and keep it in mind while making the budget. Referring to phenomenal progress made by resource-less Korea, he said commitment counted more than resources.
Former interior minister and PPP Senator Abdul Rehman Malik wondered how estimates could be made without having conducted fresh national census and said that before the next budget, this nation-wide exercise was mandatory.
Presently, total reliance, he noted, was on loans, obtained locally and from world donors and these consumed 25 percent of the budget every year in terms of interest and paying back.
He asked the government to avoid figure fudging and present before the nation all the facts, as making of a budget never led to fall of any government. He urged the government to rise to the drone attack on Pakistan by Premier Modi on the diplomatic front.
Malik said the budget for the defence forces was similar to the previous one, while presently the armed forces were engaged in Zarb-e-Azb and anti-terror operations. “How can we attract investment, if there is no peace here,” he said.
The senator asked Finance Minister to think on how to put a check on rising dollar and bring its value down, as presently, it was multiplying loan payment obligations. He advocated for building dams in Balochistan for agriculture turn-around.
Senator Hari Ram of PPP charged the budget would make the rich, richer and poor, poorer. He noted that there was a zakaat system for the Muslims but no mechanism for the needy non-Muslim Pakistanis.
He alleged the government had no idea as to what exactly was Pakistan’s foreign policy. He claimed the industrial and agriculture sector stood destroyed.
PML-N’s Senator Nihal Hashmi criticised former president Pervez Musharraf to decision to deduct pension of the armed forces retired personnel from the civilian budget and wished its reversal.
He lamented the four martial laws had played with political parties. “Nawaz Sharif is in Lond, but his vision and thoughts are for Pakistan,” he said.
“The continuous presentation of budget by a civilian government since 2008 and it’s a good sign. The government is focussing on energy, agriculture, improving and expanding road network and giving incentives to youth,” said Senator Nuzhat Sadiq of PML-N.
Senator Azam Musakhail of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party alleged the budget was meant for the most favorite province of Punjab at the cost of smaller provinces and oppressed nations.
He said the interior and foreign policies should be formulated in the Parliament, being the supreme body. He complained the gas, electricity and other resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were being used by Punjab.