ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, on Friday, tasked party lawmakers to play their effective role to block passage of the "anti-people budget, prepared by enemies of the people on the dictation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)."
Shehbaz chaired the PML-N parliamentary party meeting ahead of the budget speech to devise the party's strategy for the budget session.
Addressing the meeting, Shehbazreferred to the dilapidated economy, unemployment and the skyrocketing inflation as well as the worst load shedding across the country in the scorching heat.
He alleged that the government is guilty of mismanagement of electricity, adding that opening of the educational institutes are also deplorable amid worst load shedding.
"Schoolchildren are fainting in extreme heat and load shedding but the government seems least bothered. It seems that there is no government in the country and the government has no interest to address the plight of the people," he maintained.
He further said that the economic survey is a charge sheet against the government, adding that the figures shown in the survey only led to frustration and failure.
"More than 13 percent inflation in food items, increase in debt, low tax collection are government crimes. Even after making everything expensive, including electricity, the government is still holding the begging bowl...Snatching everything from the masses including medicines, treatment, food and jobs, the government continues to cry," he maintained.
"The Economic Survey is a disgraceful reflection of the rulers' performance over the last three years who gave nothing to the people except for hunger, poverty and unemployment," he further maintained.
In the last three years, he claimed that the nation saw that they were "deceived, cheated and lied [to]", adding that after wasting the whole three years, it is now being claimed that they are starting in the right direction.
"If the direction was not fixed in three whole years, when will they reach the destination?" he asked, adding that the last three precious years of the country were wasted and the PML-N would not allow any more wastage of time.
"All members should play their effective role in blocking the budget prepared by the enemies of the people on the dictation of the IMF," he directed the PML-N lawmakers.
Shehbaz said that the PML-N, together with the other opposition parties, would not allow the "anti-people" budget to be passed from the House. The PML-N president also expressed grief and sorrow over the tragic train incident in Ghotki, in which dozens of precious human lives were lost and more than 100 people were injured.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021