Senate session: Karachi events eclipse budget discussion

Fiscal plan benefits ‘the cronies of capitalism’, Rabbani says.

ISLAMABAD:

The budget discussion finally commenced in the upper house of parliament, but not without a commotion, as senators insisted that the second attack in Karachi on Tuesday must be discussed. “How can we discuss the budget when an entire city was under siege?” said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Senator Tahir Mashadi.

Meanwhile, an angry Raza Rabbani said the second attack had been deliberately toned down by the government. “Do not insult the intelligence of the nation!” he said. When the leader of the house Raja Zafarul Haq took the floor, he addressed the Deputy Chairman Senate, saying a day had already been allotted for a discussion of the attack and so, the ongoing discussion ‘is against the rules’. “Were the attacks in Karachi according to the rules?” shot back PML-Q Senator Kamil Ali Agha.

MQM Senator Haseeb Khan went a step further, remarking that parliament may be next in the round of attacks. “While the mind stops functioning with what is happening around the country, you want us to discuss the budget?” he asked.

As Senator Rabbani was about to commence his speech on the budget, he remarked that the interior minister was in the National Assembly to brief members about the attack, but he did not bother to take the Senate into confidence. He then pointed out that not a single member of the treasury bench was present. “I refuse to open the budget speech,” he said, walking out, followed by the rest of the opposition. The house was adjourned for ten minutes as Raja Zafarul Haq assured the Deputy Chairman Senate that the ministers would arrive. When the session resumed, there were five ministers on the treasury benches.

Senator Rabbani said the budget favoured ‘the cronies of capitalism’, remarking that the budget seemed to be drafted according to dictates from the International Monetary Fund. The senator’s criticism of the federal budget was based on three points; first, he said it violated the Constitution as the surplus budget from the provinces was to be used by the federation to fill in the budget deficit. Secondly, he said the budget focused on industrialists rather than the masses and increased the rural-urban divide. “The metro bus would be used as hearse to carry the bodies of the poor,” he commented. “I wish I was a part of the PML-N,” he said sarcastically, referring to the budget’s provisions for ‘the elite’. “I would have been far better off.” PML-N Senator Jaffar Iqbal quipped that Senator Rabbani was welcome to join his party.

He appreciated the increase in the minimum wage but said labourers were outsourced and exploited. He suggested that the salaries of employees up to Grade-15 should be increased to 25 per cent while employees of Grade-16 and above should be given a raise of 15 per cent.

The house was adjourned with the speech of the newly elected PPP Senator Dr Qayum Soomro.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2014.