ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches in the National Assembly on Thursday formally initiated debate on the Federal Budget 2021-22 after Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif completed his opening speech that remained unfinished for the last three days due to disruption in the House proceedings.
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan’s (MMAP) lawmaker Mufti Abdul Shakoor expressed concern over the increased inflation in the country.
He said allocation of funds for the erstwhile FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas should be made as per the commitment as most of the region was without proper basic infrastructure and communication system.
He called for restoring peace in the ex-FATA as terrorist elements were trying to become active again there.
Salahuddin of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said the government allocated huge amount for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) while taxes for the small businesses had also been reduced. He said the (Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate was satisfactory and the government was moving in the right direction to achieve the economic goals. However, he appealed to the government to check inflation in the country.
He criticized the Sindh government for ignoring the remote areas of province, along with Hyderabad and Karachi in the past. He demanded to set up more provinces with special funds allocations for their development.
Balochistan National Party-Mengal’s Agha Hassan Baloch said Balochistan had been neglected in the past and its various areas lacked basic facilities even today. The people of Gwadar, Pasni and other cities, he said, were still deprived of basic facilities like water and education, and complained of less allocation made in the PSDP this year for the remote areas.
He claimed here were few industries in Balochistan while taxes were received by other provinces. Despite having geo-political importance, with reservoirs of natural gas, he said, the province was backward.
He called for constructing Karachi-Quetta-Chaman Motorway, besides the development of basic infrastructure across the province.
Independent lawmaker Aslam Bhootani thanked the government for presenting the best federal budget, with sufficient funds allocation for the neglected areas of Balochistan.
He stressed the need for mitigating sufferings of fishermen earning their livelihood in Balochistan waters, and taking necessary measures for non-functional industrial zones in the province.
He said there should be no undue restrictions on the legal border-trade in Balochistan.