Unequal distribution: Opposition leaders claim only corrupt bureaucrats will benefit

MQM insists Karachi has been neglected, PML-F says most money earmarked for port city

KARACHI: Following the opposition's protest against the provincial budget, the Sindh government has invited them to resolve their grievances.

A meeting will be convened today between the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and other opposition lawmakers before the Sindh Assembly session. "More than 60 per cent of the people in Sindh are with us on the budget issue, seemingly because the government has given no incentive to the poor," said opposition leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan while addressing a press conference at his office. "We will continue our protest if our grievances are not resolved."



Hassan said that the government has neglected Karachi and other urban areas and no new schemes have been announced in the budget. "Unfortunately, the budget presented by the finance minister is for jagirdars and feudal [landlords]," he said, adding that only corrupt bureaucrats would benefit from the budget. "The discriminatory approach is reflected in the budget books and the government has once again created a vacuum between urban and rural areas by ignoring the former and allocating more money for latter," he said.

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional parliamentary leader Nand Kumar rebuffed the opposition leader's claims about discrimination between rural and urban areas and pointed out Karachi has been given more funds than other cities and towns in Sindh.

"Rs49 billion have been kept aside for Karachi. This shows a significant increase in the budget for Karachi," he said, adding that Tharparkar, Kohistan and Sanghar district have been neglected in the budget.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2015.