The opposition walked out of the Senate session on Friday over non-issuance of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) supremo Asif Ali Zardari’s production order as well as lack of action on a resolution approved by the Upper House regarding reference against superior court judges.
Speaking in the House, PPP Parliamentary Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman said the NAB arrested Zardari from his house just a day before the federal budget. “The former president has been appearing in courts as well as NAB. Politicians are being harassed,” she said.
Leader of the House in Senate Syed Shibli Faraz expressed displeasure at the behaviour of the opposition. “One political party is taking the House hostage,” he said, adding that the government will not allow this and the agenda of the House will be completed.
PTI’s Dr Shahzad Waseem said that first production orders for former finance minister Ishaq Dar should be issued, who he said had not yet taken an oath since becoming a senator.
The opposition also discussed the federal budget which was presented in the NA by Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar on Tuesday.
“We all know where the new budget was made. It is the first ‘Made by IMF’ budget in Pakistan’s history. The IMF brought the government on its knees prior to the loans even being approved. Owing to this, the rupee has plunged to 157,” Senator Sherry Rehman said. “It’s not that we have never turned to the IMF, but we have never been put in such a state that prior agreements are made without the approval of the parliament. When we went to the IMF, we got five times more than what the country qualified for – a 7.6 billion program that we successfully completed with the trust of the government,” she added.
The former leader of the opposition also slammed the government for the debt it has continued to incur, saying, “On average, in the last 10 years, Pakistan’s public debt only increased by $6.6 billion even if we were to get an average from both the PPP and the PML-N. In the last 10 months, this rate of public borrowing has gone up to $14 billion.” “Now they are saying that they will conduct an inquiry but they are the ones who should be inquired. In 10 months, what have they done with Pakistan’s debts? They have put the future of all of us Pakistanis at stake without obtaining any permission or consultations from the parliament,” she maintained.
PPP stalwart Raza Rabbani said the budget has been ‘illegally presented’ in the assembly.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani said a matter pertaining to the other House cannot be discussed here. While asking the Senate chairman to inquire from the NA speaker about the matter, Rabbani said the budget has been made on the directions of the IMF. Sanjrani later took the floor back from the PPP senator.
In reference to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address on Tuesday night vowing to go after the thieves who have left the country in debt, PML-N Senator Abdul Qayyum said the prime minister should not use the language of police officers.
