Absenteeism mars budget session

Even those who were present in NA passed their time chatting with each other

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly budget session on Friday was affected by a notable absence of its members as well as ministers.

Even those who were present in the lower house of parliament could be seen passing their time chatting with each other.

Chaired by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, the session saw Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, the chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Finance, stressing the need for timely elections.

He also expressed his concern over the decrease in Pakistan’s defence budget in comparison with the 14-fold hike in that of India.

He raised the question as to who would protect the country if the army was weakened and urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to prioritise the welfare of the poor over the rich.

Sheikh dismissed claims that Pakistan was on the verge of bankruptcy, maintaining that such assertions stemmed from “delusional” thinking.

He emphasised the importance of attracting investors.

He also acknowledged the significant actions taken by the army after May 9, the day when PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court, triggering countrywide protests in which both civil and military installations were attacked.

The civilian and army top brass decided to try the rioters involved in violence in military courts.

Sheikh highlighted the focus of this year’s budget on information technology and the agricultural sector, pointing out that the installation of 50,000 solar-powered tube-wells was a significant step forward.

Speaking in the House, Federal Minister for Defence Production Israr Tareen, who belongs to the Balochistan Awami Party, criticised those who had “acted in accordance with the enemy’s wishes, aiming to weaken the country”, referring to the individuals involved in the May 9 violence.

He insisted that no exceptions should be made for such people and proposed handling their cases under the Army Act, or abolishing the law if they were not punished under it.

Commenting on the budget, Tareen noted that only Rs1 billion were allocated for a Rs8.5 billion road project.

Amir Magsi, a PPP MNA, expressed disappointment in the federal government’s failure to fulfill the commitments made with last year’s flood victims.
He regretted the absence of budgetary allocations for the flood victims' relief and rehabilitation.

He compared it with the Sindh government’s allocation of Rs100 million for the flood victims.

Referring to the May 9 mayhem, Magsi called for severe punishment for those responsible for attacking the country.

MNA Nasir Musazai, who was formerly associated with the PTI and has now joined the JUI-F, claimed that previous governments were consistently held accountable for the budgets over the past 30 years.

He added that these budgets were predominantly shaped by military dictators.
He expressed his regret over the failure to build a dam, which would have provided affordable electricity and water.

Zahra Wadood Fatemi, a PML-N MNA, criticised the budget, questioning what achievements they could present to the people in the upcoming elections.
She highlighted the increased salaries by 30-35% for government employees during their tenure but lamented the lack of progress in providing essential utilities including electricity, water, and gas to the common people.

The session witnessed a notable lack of attendance from the members of the ruling alliance, highlighting their disinterest in the budget debate.
Towards the end of the session, three PML-N members entered the House, but no minister from their party was present. Only 10 members were in attendance at the close of the session, with seven out of eight belonging to the PPP.

Notably, six female members were present.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali and PPP’s Mir Manoor Ali Talhoor were among the few members present. The NA session has been adjourned until 11pm on Saturday (today).