PPP, PMLN staged drama over budget: PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Monday alleged the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) had done a deal to get an anti-people budget approved after a brief failed ‘stage drama’ to gain public sympathies.

The spokesperson claimed in a statement issued here that Pakistani nation was cognizant of the fact that the PPP and PMLN had equally contributed to the economic devastation and financial carnage that had beset the country at present.

He said that both the parties had a long history of conveniently setting aside their differences to perpetuate their self-serving agendas in total disregard of any concern for the welfare of the people, democracy and Constitution.

Meanwhile, the opposition leaders and legislators spoke to media outside the Parliament House. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said: “When we tried to talk today, the mics were switched off. We wanted to say that it is necessary to take Parliament into confidence for any operation, as no matter how big a committee is, Parliament is supreme according to the Constitution”.

“Today [Monday], we have kept our full presence, but the government MPs are not present in Parliament today: Today we asked for point of order but we did not get time,” said Gohar. “We walked out of Parliament in protest. Which operation has been successful till date? The media is also in control, our representatives cannot go inside,” claimed PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser.

At this time, he said, they have a grievance against the Speaker for his attitude towards the opposition. The Sunni Ittehad Council members took out a rally from the Parliament House to the Supreme Court building, chanting slogans raised for release of party’s founder chairman Imran Khan.

Separately, Asad Qaiser and the MNAs from merged districts and Malakand division met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The meeting discussed development projects in the tribal districts, law and order and opening of trade routes to Afghanistan.

The minister was told Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has expressed concern over new military operation. Asad said that life has not returned to normal in the former tribal areas, and an atmosphere of war is going to be created again.

The MPs from tribal districts told the finance minister that the provinces have not yet contributed to NFC award after Fata’s merger with the province and that taxing mills and factories in tribal areas was a cruelty. “At the time of merger, Fata was declared tax-free for a period, the same status should be maintained,” MPs said. The finance minister assured to resolve the problems.