Budget 'an economic attack' on masses: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday termed the national budget an 'economic attack' on common man.

In a statement, Bilawal Bhutto wondered how could be the budget described as people-friendly if there was record inflation, record unemployment and record poverty in the country.

"When Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was presenting its budget on Friday, government employees were protesting against inflation outside the Parliament House," he said, and added, "A year has passed; a new budget has been presented, but the poor man still has nothing to eat."

Bilawal opined that masses had now realised that making tall claims was 'selected' Prime Minister Imran Khan's habit as he had completely failed to provide relief to them.

The PPP chairman vowed that his party would not let the PTI government carry out what he called 'financial massacre' of people. Bilawal said Imran Khan has failed to provide relief to the public. "Talking big has now become Imran Khan's habit," he added.

The PPP chairman said Imran Khan had revealed his anti-people and anti-poor agenda by presenting the 2021-2022 budget.

Bilawal who attended the Friday's budget session where the opposition parties stage a noisy protest during the finance minister's speech.

Later, Bilawal expressed solidarity with the protesting government employees outside the Parliament House after National Assembly's budget session.

On the occasion, Bhutto said that it seemed the finance minister had presented a budget of some other country instead of Pakistan.

Bilawal dubbed the budget injustice with the working class, labourers and government employees. He said they would raise the concerns of government employees on the floor of the House. "If you (the government) will keep going on and do injustice with the working class, then I will go to every nook and corner of the county and tell the people that they are bearing the burden of incapability of the government," he said.

He said when there would be a people's government in the country, justice would be done with the working class and labourers. He told the protesting government employees that they would become their voice, and launch a campaign against the government.

He said they demanded of the government to fulfill your promises which it had made with the employees. He said, "We demand Rs25,000 minimum wage per month as we have set in Sindh, and we demand 100 percent increase in pensions as "we had done in our government. We also demand 175 percent raise in the salaries of army men as we have done in our government, he said. He said Pakistan was facing historic inflation and unemployment.