Opposition walkout: Assembly in deadlock over ‘mini-budget’

Govt seems inclined to avoid debate on its economic measures.


Our Correspondent February 14, 2015
Deputy Speaker Javed Murtaza Abbasi made a futile attempt to persuade the opposition to take up the issue with the relevant committee of the house. PHOTO: Online

ISLAMABAD: Following the continuous protest of the opposition parties against the recent ‘mini-budget’ through which the government has imposed new taxes without parliamentary assent, the government seems inclined to prorogue the National Assembly session than to allow debate on its ‘out of parliament’ taxation measures.

Soon after the question-answer session, the opposition parties did not allow the Speaker to take up the day’s agenda. “This is nothing less than a money bill,” thundered Dr Nafisa Shah before leading the pack of opposition MPs out of the assembly hall.

Deputy Speaker Javed Murtaza Abbasi made a futile attempt to persuade the opposition to take up the issue with the relevant committee of the house. As members of PPP and MQM, fresh into a new phase of bonhomie, staged the walkout, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) MNA Sher Akbar Khan pointed out the quorum.

The opposition parties described Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s initiative as the key sticking point, demanding that the government take back the recent taxation on petroleum and 285 other items.

“We were expecting some relief for the poor masses from Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday when he turned up to the Assembly, but to no avail,” Dr Nafisa Shah said. She recalled that “we have staged protests thrice but no one took us into confidence so far on this policy”.

The session was convened on the requisition of the opposition parties to discuss the recent shortage of petrol but the ‘out of parliament’ taxation policy of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz  has become the chief reason of deadlock.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2015.

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