The National Assembly is continuing discussion on the budget for next fiscal year.
Participating in the debate, Waheed Alam said the previous government of PTI is responsible for the current dire economic situation of the country. He said the government should exploit the potential of renewable energy including solar and wind to address energy woes. He said gas and electricity pilferage should be checked.
Chaudhary Faqir Ahmad expressed the confidence that the budget presented by the present government will take the country in the right direction. He said there is a need to further strengthen the health sector to ensure the people get the best medical facilities. He said poor people should be provided with free of cost medicines.
Participating in the budget debate, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said that the PTI government left the economy on ventilator. She said the present government has taken difficult decisions whilst putting its political reputation at stake to save the country from default. She said it was the PTI that had struck the agreement with the IMF. She regretted the PTI has no respect for democracy and is pursuing the politics of dividing the society. She called for collective steps to steer the country out of crises.
Alluding to the issue of climate change faced by the country, Sherry Rehman emphasized the need for taking durable and sustainable steps to save the country’s water resources. She also stressed for water conservation.
Armaghan Subhani said supply of fertilizers should be ensured to the farmers. He said legislation should also be introduced to deal with the issue of counterfeit pesticides.
Dr Shazia Sobia said corruption was carried out by the previous government in the health sector including in the funds of Covid-19 which needs to be investigated.
Ali Gohar Khan was appreciative of the government for focusing on road development projects in the budget.
Azhar Qayyum said the government has presented a balanced budget in difficult times. He said effort has been made to put minimum burden on the common man. He said the government is working with good intent, expressing the confidence that Pakistan will come out of difficult economic situation.
Syed Mahmood Shah said the people should be encouraged to make investments in different sectors saying this will trigger economic activity and provide job opportunities. He regretted non development in Balochistan province.
Nisar Ahmad Cheema said prices of petroleum products and electricity are increasing due to flawed policies of the previous government. He said the national political leadership should sit together to free the country from the shackles of international financial lenders.
Rubina Irfan raised a matter that Iran provides free of cost electricity to six districts of Balochistan, but WAPDA is selling that gifted energy. Upon which, the Deputy Speaker referred the matter to the concerned standing committee of the House. She said her party is firmly standing behind Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. She said the government does not have a magic wand to change the situation overnight and people should observe patience for improvement.
At the outset, Abu Bakar, who won the recent by-election in NA-240, took oath as member of National Assembly today.
Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered him the oath.
The House will now meet tomorrow at 11 a.m.
Source: Radio Pakistan