ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Wednesday said that the Finance Bill, 2021 was passed on June 29 after completing all set rules and procedures.

On a clarification note in reply of objections from opposition benches in the National Assembly, the speaker said that in a democratic way as many as 172 members supported the finance bill while 138 members opposed the bill.

He said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had challenged the bill after conclusion of all procedure.

He said that the National Assembly has passed the Finance Bill, 2021 yesterday after five hour ten minute long discussion on the said Bill and the budget session was quite exhausting.

Asad Qaiser said that 244 members from Opposition and Government participated in general discussion on the budget and consumed sixty-nine hours five minutes.

He said that additional sixteen hours five minutes were given to opposition members for discussion on the budget while thirteen hours to the Government members in excess of the time allotted to them.

In addition to this sixteen hours ten minutes were consumed on Demands for Grants and cut-motions. One hour and twenty minutes consumed on Senate recommendations, he added.

He said that one hour and ten minutes were given for discussion on charged expenditure. He added almost ninety-three hours have been given to the Budget while more time is being given to supplementary budget.

He said that this is a record time so far and shows seriousness of the members of Parliament towards parliamentary oversight and their constitutional responsibility in this regard.