ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar on Saturday said that the federal budget 2023-24 which Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was keen to present could prove to be disastrous for the ruling coalition as it has nothing for the poor.

In a tweet, Umar who has recently stepped down as PTI secretary general and member of the party’s core committee in an apparent move to avoid incarceration in wake of the May 9 vandalism, said that the PDM always insisted not to dissolve assemblies before presenting the federal budget.

“During the talks [with PTI for holding elections] the PDM always insisted not to dissolve assemblies before presenting the budget. But instead of giving such a budget, it [PDM] should not have presented the budget”, he added.

Umar, a former finance minister who also served as minister for planning and development in ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s administration, said that the decisions which the ruling PDM is taking for the last over one year will prove to be lethal for the coalition government.

In another tweet, he said that GDP growth declined from 6.1% last year to 0.3% this year as per government statistics, adding “this is the biggest growth decline since 1971 for Pakistan”.

“The highest inflation in history of the country and the economic collapse is catastrophic. This is not working. Time to rethink, reset & revive”, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023