Bilawal is our red line, warns PPP MNA

Bickering over funds allocation mars NA budget debate

ISLAMABAD:

As the PPP and the PML-N trade barbs over the budgetary commitments, the issue also echoed in the National Assembly on Monday after a PPP lawmaker maintained that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was their “red line” and that they would deal with “full strength” against anyone who “cast an evil eye on Sindh”.

On Saturday, Bilawal while addressing a rally in Swat accused the ruling coalition of totally ignoring the provinces that bore the brunt of last year’s devastating floods in the proposed budget.

“The budget for fiscal 2023-24 contains little of the PPP’s input,” he said, adding that “If Muslim League [PML-N] wants the PPP to vote for this budget then it must first allocate funds for flood reconstruction.”

Responding to the PPP chairman, PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal next day said that coalition partners should sort out issues in cabinet meetings and not in public rallies.

On Monday, the lower house session was presided over by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

The House offered Fateha for Kallar Kahar road accident and Greece boat tragedy victims.

During the session, PPP MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhail said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced projects worth Rs128 billion for Karachi but only Rs15 billion were announced for Sindh flood victims.

He pointed out that the premier had inaugurated a road in Balochistan, which had already been opened by three premiers earlier, but the work on the project did not start.

He observed that the salaries of the government employees had been raised on ad hoc basis but was unaware till when the increase would be given.

Mandokhail complained that he wanted to meet the premier for his constituency but was not given time for appointment, adding that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also did not give time for the meeting.

He claimed that some bureaucrats from Sindh and Karachi were caught and billions of rupees were recovered from their houses, “but no one was there to question them”.

He questioned whether it was fair that the chief justice drew a salary of Rs1.7 million whereas Islamabad female daily wages teachers in grade 17 were given only Rs20,000 per month.

The PPP MNA regretted that the airports had been outsourced and that 11,000 employees of Nadra and workers in the Sui gas for the last 22 years were still working on daily wages.

He declared that the PPP chairman was their “quaid” and their “red line” and questioned “what crime did Bilawal commit by asking for funds for the flood victims”.

Mandokhail warned that they would not tolerate any propaganda against Bilawal over the funds issue, saying they would deal with “full strength” against anyone who “cast an evil eye on Sindh”.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Nafisa Shah reminded that there was no political prisoner during the PPP era.
Maulana Jamaluddin said that production orders of MNA Ali Wazir should be issued.

Later, the NA session was adjourned till Tuesday (today).