President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned budget session of the National Assembly on Monday (10th June) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government would present Budget 2019-20 in the House on Tuesday (11th June). According to a notification issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, "In the exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 54 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President has been pleased to summon the National Assembly to meet in the Parliament House, Islamabad, on Monday, the 10th June, 2019 at 4:00pm."
The source said that PTI government has decided to present Budget 2019-20 on the second day of sitting (Tuesday) of the National Assembly and the same day it would also be laid before the Senate.
Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh would not be eligible to present Budget 2019-20 in the National Assembly or chair the National Finance Commission (NFC) meetings if he does not take oath as federal minister.
Sources said that although the post of adviser is constitutional, yet he can only discharge day-to-day ministerial affairs and is not eligible to present budget for the next fiscal year and chair high-powered NFC meeting under article 91 (9) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The Article 91 (9) of the Constitution would allow Hafeez Shaikh to take oath as the federal minister once for a period of six months; it stipulates "a minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the National Assembly shall, at the expiration of that period, cease to be a minister and shall not before dissolution of that Assembly be again appointed a minister unless he is elected a member of the National Assembly. Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to a Minister who is a member of the Senate."
According to the sources, Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh would take oath one day prior (Monday) to presenting budget in the National Assembly. After taking oath, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh would present Budget 2019-20 in the National Assembly.
Former Shahid Khaqan Abbasi-led administration elevated the then adviser to prime minister on finance Miftah Ismail to the level of federal minister on April 27, hours before he presented the budget for 2018-19.
The Upper House of the Parliament (Senate) would discuss the Budget 2019-20 and submit its recommendations on it within 14-day in the National Assembly. It is up to the National Assembly either to incorporate amendment in the Finance Bill 2019-20 or reject them. The sources said that the Budget-2019-20 is likely to be approved from the National Assembly on June 28 or 29.
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