The National Assembly session, chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, witnessed disruption as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed members of Sunni Ittehad Councils (SIC) staged a walkout during budget discussion.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mahesh Kumar Malani criticised the budget as challenging and dictated by the IMF, mentioning that their chairman had to reluctantly accept it.
Adding to the opposition's discontent, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) member Shahida Akhtar argued that the budget is full of attractive words but essentially crafted to meet IMF's desires. She questioned the increased benefits to IPPs and demanded an audit to ensure transparency.
Further criticisms came from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) Aminul Haq, highlighting that the budget is exhausted by paying interest on loans. Haq compared Pakistan's situation unfavourably to Afghanistan and India and called for an agricultural tax on those profiting from wheat sales.
PPP's Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah echoed these concerns, warning that the budget would increase public hardships and emphasising the need to control population growth to improve fiscal outcomes.
In response to the walkout, government ministers quickly intervened, urging the opposition to return to the assembly.
Following these appeals, opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan led the members back to the house.
The Sunni Ittehad Council protested vocally against giving the microphone to Khawaja Asif, raising slogans to halt the operations in FATA. They also voiced strong opposition to the operations in K-P and condemned the killing of Pakhtuns.
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