Debate begins on Federal Budget after govt, opposition break deadlock

After consensus between the treasury bench and the opposition that they will hold a discussion without disrupting the session, the debate on the  budget for next fiscal year 2019-20 began on Wednesday in the National Assembly (NA) with the Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif opening up the budget discussion.

The opposition leader, along with Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, urged NA Speaker Asad Qaiser to issue the production orders for former president Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz's (PML-N) Saad Rafique and North Waziristan MNAs Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar.

Delivering his speech, Sharif said that the budget has only brought disappointment to the people. The leader claimed that the budget was led and dictated by International Monetary Fund-led. "We reject the budget," the PML-N president added.

During the previous three NA sessions, the treasury bench had prevented the opposition leader from speaking on the floor of the Parliament. The sessions had then been adjourned by the Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri. On Tuesday, after reconciliatory efforts of deputy speaker, the two sides had agreed that they would listen to the speeches of each other without creating disturbances.