ISLAMABAD: The opposition members in the National Assembly (NA) on Tuesday continued criticising budget proposals while expressing their concern over day-to-day increase in prices of essential commodities.
Shazia Marri of PPP while terming the budget as unconstitutional regretted that the government had not taken input from any forum of the House for the budget.
She said new NFC award is the constitutional responsibility of the government which has not been fulfilled. “The government should have announced NFC Award before announcement of the budget,” she said.
She condemned recent drone attack by US in Balochistan terming it attack on country’s sovereignty.She enumerated achievements of PPP government including regularisation of contractual employees and 125 per cent increase in salaries of government employees.
She criticised government for 18-20 hours loadshedding in different parts of the country saying the government is following in the footsteps of Musharaf.Amid debate on budget proposals in the NA, the reporting of words expunged by the chair was raised as the Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said on Tuesday that media, both print and electronic, should not report the expunged words in their news items.
On a point of order by Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, the speakers said that the position in this matter was clear that media has responsibility not to reproduce what has been expunged from the proceedings of the house, the speaker remarked.
The speaker said that whenever the words are expunged, the media is communicated and media itself has the responsibility to refrain from reporting such material. He expressed the hope that the media would play its positive role.
Sherpao wanted to know whether the media, print or electronic, could reproduce the words that have been expunged from the proceedings.Dr. Shireen Mazari asked whether or not it was the responsibility of the ministers also not to use the expunged words on social media. On that the Speaker said it should also be avoided.
The opposition members in the National Assembly on Tuesday continued criticising budget proposals while expressing their concerns over day to day increase in prices of essential commodities.
Ramesh Lal of PTI said no increase has been made for welfare of minorities in the budget. He said that five percent job quota for minorities is not being implemented. He said price hike is increasing day by day and the government should pay attention towards this.
Khusro Bakhtiar of PML-N said Pakistan’s economic growth is slowest in Asia. He pointed out that strong economy is imperative for strengthening of democracy.
He said there should be a national ownership of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He demanded steps for development of under-developed areas of South Punjab.Imran Khattak of PTI stressed the need for early holding of Population Census for better future planning.
He was of the view that 4.71 percent GDP growth is exaggerated. He pointed out that eighteen to twenty hours duration of load shedding is being carried out in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Aliya Kamran of JUI-F said price hike and unemployment in the country is increasing. She lauded that there is visible decrease in terrorism incidents as a result of successful operation of Zarb-e-Azb.
She appreciated Government stand against recent drone attack in Balochistan.Syed Ali Raza Abidi demanded increase in allocation for education. He said the Government should decrease its dependence on indirect taxes and should go for direct taxes. He was of the view that Iran’s Chabahar Port cannot compete with Gwadar Port.
Chaudhary Riaz ul Haq said rising about political affiliations, we should work for Charter of Economy. He demanded construction of a five hundred bed hospital at Okara.Three bills were introduced in the house. These are “The Illegal Dispossession (Amendment) Bill, 2016”, “The Marine Insurance Bill, 2016” and “The Pakistan National Accreditation Council Bill, 2016”.
The bills were moved by Minister of State for Interior Muhammad Balighur Rehman and Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan.The chair referred these bills to the standing committees concerned.
