Greece boat tragedy echoes in NA

MNAs continue debate on budget for FY24

ISLAMABAD:

The boat tragedy off the coast of Greece echoed in the National Assembly on Saturday with Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf took notice of the demise of the Pakistani migrants and ordered the authorities concerned to investigate as well as bring to justice the people who were responsible for sending them on such a perilous journey.

Ashraf issued the directions after Jamaat-e-Islami MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, while speaking on a point of order, maintained that around 310 Pakistani migrants had died earlier this week while travelling from Libya to Greece.

The JI lawmaker sought an explanation from the interior ministry as well as a thorough investigation into the incident. The speaker ordered the interior ministry to submit a report on the tragedy to the House.

Returning to the main agenda of the session – the recently proposed budget – PML-N MNA Chaudhry Riaz-ul-Haq raised the question that how would the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) achieve the tax collection target set at Rs9.2 trillion for the next fiscal year.

He maintained that the FBR suffered a loss of around Rs1.8 trillion annually.

PPP’s Shagufta Jumani noted that the country’s economy was in dire straits. She raised the question as to who was responsible for the poor state of economy and division among the people.

The PPP MNA later replied to her question herself by claiming the person responsible for the current situation was a miscreant, indirectly referring to PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan.

She added that that person was now remembering democracy after being “hit by shoes”. “That person used to say [earlier] that the country should have a presidential system or should be ruled by technocrats,” she continued.

PML-N MNA Nisar Cheema said when former premier Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, her husband, PPP Co-chairperson Asif Zardari had raised the slogan of “Pakistan Khappay” (long live Pakistan).

Cheema added that in the past, PPP activists fed themselves but did not harm the country.

The PML-N lawmaker maintained that his party supremo, Nawaz Sharif, was twice ousted from the post of the prime minister -- once in a false plane hijacking case and the other time for unclaimed salary.

Cheema said Nawaz had not incited his party activists to attack military installations.

The PML-N MNA demanded that his district should be made a part of Gujranwala instead of Gujrat. He also said either cigarettes should be banned or the taxes on them be increased. Cheema maintained that neighbouring countries had more than 50% tax on cigarettes.

National Democratic Movement Chairman MNA Mohsin Dawar told the House that as the National Assembly was holding a debate on the budget today, his friend, rights activist Alam Zaib Khan Mahsud, was rounded up from his residence and presented before a court, where he was implicated in a case of possession of hashish.

Dawar raised the question how would the economy improve in these conditions. “How will we progress as long as there is such a political environment?” he continued.

JUI-F’s Shahida Akhtar Ali noted that in the past, whenever there was incompetence, the incumbent rulers used to pin the blame on the previous government. She added that not only was she a sister of an army officer, but the mother of one as well. She criticised the propaganda spread against Ansar-ul-Islam, the JUI-F’s volunteer force.

The JUI-F MNA said economic stability was linked to a stable political environment. She termed the violence on May 9 this year, when PTI chief Imran’s arrest triggered countrywide protests in which both civil and military installations were attacked, as the darkest chapter in the country’s history.

The JUI-F MNA said amid this uncertainty, especially after May 9, it was incorrect to call this budget the best. “A good budget can come only if the state institutions are strong,” she added.

PTI MNA Riaz Mazari said most of the speeches delivered in the House were political in nature. He demanded that the parts of the speeches where the PTI chief was mentioned should be expunged.

He added that the budget tabled for the next fiscal year was not meant for the people but the ministers themselves. Riaz Mazari said the state minister for finance was currently not present in the House otherwise he would have taken up the budget with her. He complained that there was nothing allocated for Rajanpur in the budget.

MNA Saira Bano of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) said the salaries of government employees had been increased but who would think about the private sector.

She added that the wages of government employees had jacked up by 35% but what would happen when the inflation rate rose to 40%.

“We don’t want an IMF [International Monetary Fund] budget,” she continued.

The GDA MNA said after the 18th amendment, the ministries which were not needed by the federation should be abolished.

Saira noted that Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party had been formed by former PTI leader Jahangir Tareen.

“Will this party restore istehkam [stability] to the country?” she questioned.

“It was earlier said [Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party founder] Jahangir Tareen was an ATM, Aleem Khan was the builder mafia, and Aun Chaudhry was a drug dealer,” she recalled.

Saira claimed that for the last 25 days, she was being threatened not to talk.

She continued that how could she convince everyone that she was truly a patriotic person.