PTI slams Punjab's allocation of Rs30bn for Speaker's constituency

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab on Monday showed concern over the Punjab government's allocation of additional Rs 35 billion for the constituency of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

According to the PTI Punjab, recently, the salaries of the National Assembly Speaker and other parliamentarians were increased significantly; while the country's economy is on the verge of collapse and the people are suffering from poverty, inflation, and unemployment, the extravagance of the elite feels like rubbing salt in the wounds of the nation.

Punjab is facing serious issues, including a poor drainage system, a lack of basic healthcare facilities in government hospitals, and over 10 million children being out of school.

“In such circumstances, spending public tax money on the government’s courtiers is seen as barbaric,” it added.

The party also castigated the Punjab government for establishing the Anti-Riot Force and appointing 5,000 personnel for the new force, saying it serves as a clear indication of Maryam Nawaz’s authoritarian governance style. “The brutality displayed by the Punjab Police over the past three years, aimed at carrying out political vendettas and suppressing the PTI, is unprecedented. The creation of the Anti-Riot Force is designed to further oppress the general public, particularly targeting the PTI and enforcing Maryam Nawaz’s authoritarian policies in Punjab,” it added.

It pointed out that rather than improving institutional performance and prioritising the welfare of the people, public resources are being misused to extend their illegitimate rule and safeguard personal interests, adding that this behaviour is both condemnable and detrimental to national interests.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025