Govt employees to get salary by June 23

NA demands special attention towards agriculture sector

ISLAMABAD:

As the debate on the federal budget for the next financial year continued in the National Assembly (NA) for the fourth consecutive day, the lower house was told that government employees would be paid by June 23 in view of the upcoming Eid.

The meeting of the National Assembly was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani.

Despite the small number of attendees, the debate on the budget continued for the fourth day.

The members of the lower house severely criticised the economic performance of the former government.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told the House that requests are coming from various institutions and government employees for payment of salaries before Eidul Azha.

He said that the finance secretary has been directed to pay the salaries on June 23 so that the employees can fulfill their needs for Eid.

Water Resources Minister Syed Khursheed Shah said that agriculture is the backbone of our economy. He demanded the provision of resources for this sector.

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Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain expressed strong criticism of the previous government, revealing that upon receiving a briefing upon assuming office, he was deeply moved to the point of tears.

“The economy was destroyed more than we imagined,” he added.

In the meeting, Maulana Jamaluddin of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) demanded that the salaries of government employees earning high monthly incomes in lakhs of rupees should not be increased.

Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Sajnaer Talpur raised the issue of Shell Company's termination of business in Pakistan and urged for immediate attention.

Later, the meeting was adjourned till 11 am on Friday.