PML-N rejects Punjab budget

LAHORE: PML-N has rejected the Punjab Budget 2018-2019 and termed the released picture of wrecked assembly hall forged and demanded a fact-finding committee to investigate the matter and make the results public.

Addressing a press conference at PML-N Model Town secretariat, PML-N leaders Malik Muhammad Ahmed and Kashif Padhiar said the opposition alliance did not wreck the assembly hall but only tore off and tossed budget copies. After the cameras were turned off post session, the desks and microphones were wrecked and the picture was taken and issued as a propaganda tool, they alleged.

PML-N demanded a fact-finding commission to investigate the events of the budget speech day and the members from treasury benches should be held to the same scrutiny as that of the opposition members.

Muhammad Ahmed said that the budget given by the government was a disaster for the province and especially the average Pakistani. The development budget had been drastically slashed with key areas like healthcare and education taking a massive hit of 50 percent deduction.

Criticising the cutting off of subsidies on public transport, he said all across the world even in developing countries, public transport is subsidised. Ending this relief would make it virtually unaffordable for the poor labourers to use the public transport and lead to further impoverishment and unemployment, he added.

PML-N MPA Kashif said every budgetary allocation of the PTI government is in stark contradiction to its campaign promises as the so-called ‘Youth- Savvy’ party reduced the fund for youth affairs from Rs 500 million to Rs 70 million only and that of sports from RS 8 billion to Rs 1.9 billion.

He opined that the constrictive fiscal approach by the government would dent the national growth and would lead to exponential unemployment numbers. The PML-N leaders were of the view that Ishaq Dar’s policies kept the dollar price and inflation in check.

Talking more about the hoopla in during the budget session, he said this protest was staged against the violation of the Assembly Rules of Business by the speaker, who not only refused to call in a session on opposition’s requisition but also locked the assembly premises down which were not within his jurisdiction. The speaker also denied the opposition its right to a point of order before the budget speech which all led to the dissent and consequent reaction by the opposition benches, they said. They condemned the arrest and detention of party president Shahbaz Sharif and said it was a copybook case of political victimisation.