Covid-19 takes steam out of NA budget ruckus

Opposition shouts slogans, carries placards with limited members

ISLAMABAD: Despite low attendance in the National Assembly session on Friday because of the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place, opposition lawmakers still managed to create a ruckus as the budget for 2020-21 was being presented in the house.

Nevertheless, it was a far cry from the usual hullaballoo that is the hallmarks of such sittings in the past.

Only 86 members (one-fourth of the total 342-member house), 46 from the treasury and 40 from the opposition, were allowed to participate in the session, leaving the spacious hall of the lower house of parliament with lots of empty seats.

As Industries Minister Hammad Azhar presented the budget for the new fiscal year, opposition benches shouted slogans and carried placards against Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was also in attendance.

Loud slogans against the premier and table-thumping by the opposition members was witnessed as Azhar highlighted the PTI-led government’s efforts to streamline the economy.

The placards were inscribed with slogans including ‘Where are the 10 million jobs and 5 million houses?’ and ‘why agriculture and farmers are in a poor condition’.

One placard read ‘Aata Chor, Cheeni Chor [flour and sugar thieves]’ while another was inscribed with the slogan ‘Corona is not an ordinary flu’, reminding the premier about the severity of the disease as opposed to his earlier speeches where in which he had downplayed its threat.



With continuous noise during Azhar’s speech, Speaker Asad Qaiser had to intervene several times. On one occasion, he specifically asked the opposition benches to maintain decorum and “do not shout inappropriate slogans”.

He closely monitored the opposition members’ movement and restricted them from coming towards the treasury benches.

Extraordinary precautionary steps were taken because of the coronavirus pandemic and the doors of parliament were closed for all unrelated people.

PM Imran came to the House after a long time but unlike previous occasions when the treasury members would come up to him and whisper into his ear, it did not happen this time.

In fact, there was no such interaction during the session. The premier silently left the premises when Azhar ended his budget speech.

Interestingly, Opposition Leader in the NA Shehbaz Sharif’s absence from the budget session for the first time also set a new record in parliamentary history. Shehbaz did not attend the session as he has tested positive for Covid-19.

Also missing from the session were the leading PML-N stalwarts including Ahsan Iqbal and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who too have tested positive for coronavirus.

PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari also stayed away from the budget session, allowing more rumour-mongering about his ill health.

A behind-the-scenes agreement struck between the government and two major opposition parties, the PML-N and the PPP two days ago, left the JUI-F fuming.

The JUI-F rejected the “agreement”, terming it “unconstitutional and illegal”. Its members staged a sit-in in front of the dais of the speaker during the proceedings on Wednesday to protest against the removal of their chairs from the house. Only 86 chairs were placed in the house after the agreement.

The opposition did not press for voting on cut motions and not point out quorum as agreed, providing the treasury benches a virtual walkover. At the end, Azhar completed his task of reading the finance bill without being interruption and the session was adjourned till Monday.