NA opposition demands withdrawal of NFC notification

ISLAMABAD: The opposition’s parliamentarians continued to criticise the federal budget in the National Assembly and at the same time demanded the government to withdraw notification of the NFC award.

The MQM parliamentarian Salahuddin came harsh on the PPP leadership for not addressing the basic problems of the Sindh province and criticising the federal budget at the same time.

Salahuddin noted when some opposition members were criticising the federal budget, why they could not see problems of the Sindh province. “Whether issues relating to communication, water and sewerage in the Sindh province have been resolved,” he questioned.

He said the 18th Amendment was meant to give provincial autonomy and not for the Chief Minister to act as a king. “The 18th Amendment was made part of the Constitution so that every provincial government can focus on its province but now we feel ashamed of supporting the 18th Amendment.

He questioned the PPP leaders without naming them whether they pay Zakaat on billions of rupees properties, which they had accumulated and they who looted the national exchequer also supported poor people from their pockets. “We will have to think seriously about amending the 18th amendment,” he said.

Salahuddin alleged that people were given jobs on fake domiciles in Sindh while violating the merit.

He said the Sindh chief minister makes tall claims of complete lockdown in the province but he himself violated the same thousands of people were gathered in funeral of his relative.

The MQM parliamentarian suggested that such policies would have to be followed which ensures protection to lives and keep wheel of economy going.

The PPP parliamentarian complained that no opposition member was given finds questioning whether they were not elected with votes of the masses.

Abdul Akbar Chitrali of Jamaat-e-Islami called for an interest-free financial system to take forward the country.

He said the salaries of government employees should be enhanced by ten to twenty percent keeping in view the current price hike.

Rana Sanaullah of PML-N said the PTI government did nothing except creating hatred and demonstrating incompetency. “There was no terrorism in the country while there was also no economic crisis when you got the government in 2018,” he recalled.

Questioning as to which mega project the incumbent government has completed, the PML-N leader said the rulers also put the CPEC on the back burner. “You sit in stopped the CPEC first and then you pushed back the same project on assuming power,” he said.

He also questioned as to how much looted money Shahzad Akbar who so far had addressed nearly 20 press conferences against the Sharif family, had brought back to the country.

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul said the opposition members started raising hue and cry whenever the accountability process is expedited.

She said it is for the first time that ample resources have been earmarked for the construction of water reservoirs to overcome the shortage of water.

She said Rs118 billion have been allocated for communications and from this amount mega projects will also be executed in South Punjab.

She said the government is giving special emphasis to deal with the issue of climate change.

Fazal Khan said no tax has been imposed in the budget to facilitate different segments of society during these testing times.

Maulana Asad Mahmood while rejecting the proposed budget said neither it belonged to Pakistan nor it was prepared by Pakistanis. “Instead of satisfying opposition members on questions being raised by them, the minister raised mountains of appreciations of their government,” he said.

He said every minister was saying that COVID-19 played havoc with economy but questioned whether economy was moving in the right direction before. “We ask growth rate of which country of the world has gone into minus,” he said adding the PTI was forcefully imposed on the masses.

He categorically rejected Kashmir committee as announced by the foreign minister saying his committee would not become part of that committee. He also demanded withdrawal of notification of the NFC award.