Opposition criticises govt's plan to table mini-budget in NA

The opposition on Wednesday criticised the government over its plan to present the mini-budget in the National Assembly, Aaj News reported

Speaking in the National Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party's leader Raja Pervez Ashraf said that everyone in the House was concerned about the government's move.

"Inflation, unemployment and the shortage of gas and other commodities have already wreaked havoc on the people of the country. Now, if a mini-budget or money bill is in the offing, which would increase their difficulties, then everyone sitting in the House should resist the move," he said.

Opposition lambasts govt over plan to table mini-budget

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif said that through the mini-budget, the government was planning to surrender the country's economic sovereignty.

He claimed that the state bank had become a "local branch" of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Earlier, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said that if the mini-budget was approved, then the new year will be the worst year in terms of inflation for Pakistan.

"Mini-budget will make the situation worse instead of making it better," the official PML-N Twitter handle quoted the party president as saying.

His statement comes in response to Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin's announcement that the government would withdraw tax exemptions worth Rs350 billion.

Sharif said that the mini-budget was an attack on the sovereignty of Parliament, and "if it does not stand for the interests of the people then it will not be considered as a representative body of the people."

Govt to bring ‘mini-budget’ in coming days: Shaukat Tarin

The PML-N president further said that the government should not imprison the people in the cage of the IMF.

Pakistan's economy has come under increasing pressure in recent months with the rupee hitting its all-time low on multiple occasions. A widening current account deficit, higher import bill, and faster pace of inflation have put policymakers at unease.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance in its monthly economic outlook for December 2021 said that Pakistan is on a higher growth trajectory, compared to growth observed in the fiscal year 2021.