PML-N senator rejects federal budget, slams powers proposed for FBR officers

ISLAMABAD: A treasury senator from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has handed an outright rejection to the proposed federal budget while slamming as coercive, the powers proposed for the officers of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in the budget draft, which, according to her, would lead to more corruption.

“I reject this budget—the powers being proposed for the FBR commissioners, they are coercive, which will lead to more corruption, and violate the basic rights and the rule of law,” said Saadia Abbasi in the Upper House of the Parliament on Tuesday.

She dismissed the budget as a “non-starter— anti-business— anti-poor— anti-people,” urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the policies announced in the proposed federal budget.

Abbasi strongly criticised her party’s federal government for taxing the solarisation.

In addition, the senator also took on the policy of tax filers and non-filers, which she said, was followed “nowhere in the world.”

“I am sitting on the treasury benches in this House, and I am expected to speak in favour of the government—In this paradox of trying to please the government, and speaking with some degree of intellectual honesty, I would go with my conscience,” she said, as the senator continued to lambast N-League’s federal government over its economic policies.

Apart from that, the Senate session was marked with apparent disinterest of the treasury side amidst the absence of most of the federal cabinet members, a scenario strongly criticised by the opposition senators.

Law Minister Azam Tarar responded that the ministers could not attend the House proceedings due to their participation in the finance committees of Senate and National Assembly.

Mohsin Aziz from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) criticised the government for “strangulating the registered taxpayers” in the country.

Another PTI legislator Aon Abbas Buppi slammed the government for “destroying the agriculture sector.”

He demanded of Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani to exercise his powers and issue the production order of incarcerated PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhary.

Amir Chishti from Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP) also opposed the powers proposed to the FBR in the new federal budget, saying this step would adversely affect the business community.

Waqar Mehdi from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) invited Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to “spend a day with the labourers” to know their financial hardships. “This budget is not public-friendly,” he said.

Aimal Wali Khan from Awami National Party (ANP) said the government deprived 60 percent of Pakistanis of their “right to live” in the proposed federal budget.

The House was adjourned till today (Wednesday).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025