Treasury benches welcome budget, terming it balanced and best

LAHORE    -  Legislators from across the political divide ex-pressed different views on proposed allocations dur-ing general debate on budget for the fiscal year 2011-22 in the Punjab Assembly on Friday.

Opposition legislators termed the budget jugglery of words, saying it would further enhance the miseries of the masses. Treasury members, however, welcomed the budget. They termed it a balanced and the best budget under the prevailing circumstances.

The session started one hour and 40 minutes behind the scheduled time with Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari in the chair.

Taking part in the discussion, PML-N’s Sardar Awais Laghari said: “Last year, the finance minister had claimed record wheat production which has proved wrong as not only wheat but also the sugar crisis has hit the country.” He added: “First, the sug-ar was exported, and then it was imported on higher rates.” He said that the Leader of the Opposition had highlighted facts the previous day, but the treasury had resorted to blame game instead of giving an-swers.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader Syed Hassan Murtaza said despite the Supreme Court’s order, the government was creating chaos by not restoring the local bodies. “If the situation wors-ens, the responsibility will be on the shoulders of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar,” he said.

Murtaza said: “This is the first government which is attacking both the people and the opposition.” He added that inflation had increased by 100 per cent during three years of the current government. “But the government has given only 10 per cent raise in the salaries of employees.”

Provincial Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan walked out from the House for not being allowed to speak on point of order. He had demanded an apology from the PPP leader for uncalled-for criticism of the PTI government.

PTI legislators Tanveer Aslam, Ahsanul Haq Ch, Sahibzada Gazin Abbasi, Rana Shahbaz and others termed the budget balanced, saying that it was in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar. 

They said that the government had allocated a huge amount for the welfare of the people and development in the prov-ince.