Debate on budget begins today

LAHORE:Assembly Business Advisory Committee meeting was held under chairmanship of Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi on a video link here Wednesday.

According to a press release, the meeting was participated by Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Samiullah Khan, Muhammad Moavia, Syed Hassan Murtaza, Syed Abbas Ali Shah, Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Secretary Assembly Muhammad Bhatti and DG Parliamentary Affairs. Mentioning formulated SOPs regarding the budget session in the Business Advisory Committee meeting, Ch Pervaiz Elahi said that general discussion on the annual budget would be held on four days, Thursday (today), Friday (tomorrow), Monday (June 22) and Tuesday (June 23), every member would be given five minutes time for general discussion on the budget; however, leader of the Opposition and the parliamentary leaders will be given more time with the permission of the Speaker.

He said it would be appropriate if the parliamentary leaders provide the lists of members desirous of speaking to the Secretary Assembly by Thursday (today) so that all get the opportunity of speaking, opposition members will submit their cut motions on selected demands for grants so that they are provided the opportunity to express their views on the demands for grants; otherwise, the cut motions will be taken up according to the number of demands, discussion and voting, including cut motion on the annual demands for grants will take place on Wednesday (June 24) and Thursday (June 25), after fixed time on June 25 proceedings will be held on the remaining demands for grants directly, proceedings on the Finance Bill will take place on Friday June 26, general discussion will be held on June 29, discussion and voting on the supplementary demands for grants will take place on June 30, and proceedings will be held directly on the remaining supplementary demands for grants whereas quorum will not be pointed out during general discussion on annual budget and supplementary budget. Pervaiz Elahi said that during the budget speech, the opposition had not been careful about SOPs as such it was agreed that in future protest would be done by standing in front of their seats by the opposition members.

Opposition members appreciated the efforts of the Speaker Punjab Assembly on convening the session and running the budget session smoothly. It was unanimously agreed during the Business Advisory Committee meeting that cut motions will be presented on agriculture, food, education, health, local government and law and order departments, no voting will take place on cut motion, however, voting will be on the demand for grant and quorum will not be pointed out.