Assembled: PML-N all set to present budget

The budget will be introduced in the first National Assembly session.

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is all set to present the budget for the fiscal year 2013-14 and has completed its homework in this regard, say party leaders. 

“We are waiting for the first National Assembly session, which should be summoned at the earliest, to introduce the budget” PML-N information Secretary Senator Mushahidullah Khan told The Express Tribune.

Responding to a question on how well the PML-N was prepared for this, Khan said that the PML-N “has completed its homework”.

Sources in the PML-N camp say Senator Ishaq Dar, who is pegged to be the next finance minister, has been working on the budget for the last two months. “We were busy in the process even prior to elections,” a senior PML-N official said.

The PML-N Deputy Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, when asked about his party’s top priorities in terms of addressing the daunting issues faced by the country, admitted that choosing priorities was a difficult task and said, “Tackling the power crisis is definitely important, and reviving the economy and dealing with peace and security are equally important.”

Furthermore, during the first session, which is likely to take place during the last week of May, the newly elected lawmakers would take oath.

However, oath-taking will take place only after the poll body formally releases the official results.

“The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will issue notifications only after the winning candidates submit details of their election expenses in the prescribed manner,” a senior ECP official told The Express Tribune.

He said that the election results made it clear that the PML-N is the majority party and it does not need to forge alliance with other parties as it was the case with last government.

Had there been a split mandate, then the majority party might have not been in a position to call an early session of the lower house but this is not the case, he added.

The official said that the ECP has asked the winning candidates to submit the required details within 10 days of holding of elections. “May 21 is the last day for submission of details of election expenditures,” he said.

Responding to a question, he said that there had been elections on 849 seats of the National and provincial assemblies and it would be difficult for the commission to start issuing notifications to those who have fulfilled the requirement.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.