The Senate on Wednesday witnessed a bizarre verbal clash between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers followed by a walkout by the combined opposition, which interrupted the debate on federal budget in the House. Mushahidullah Khan, Parliamentary Leader of ruling PML-N, responding to the criticism on performance of government and questions on the lawful status of the budget presented on April 27 for a whole year, lashed out at PPP for its 'poor' performance and 'failure' to bring the people of Sindh at par with Punjab.
The exchanged accusations also witnessed some bizarre remarks when the PML-N senator, who was confronted by PPP lawmakers led by Maula Bakhsh Chandio, described them as 'tun (drunk) party'. He also recalled that it was the PPP's Faryal Talpur and the then chief minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah who used to meet frequently with Uzair Baloch, the leader of banned 'Peoples Aman Committee', adding that it was an established fact that political parties had set up their militant wings which ruined the peace of the country's economic capital, Karachi.
Mushahidullah also accused certain PPP senators in the House of being 'outcome of the horse-trading' and 'agents of the hidden powers.' Chairman Senate Sadiq Khan Sanjrani, however, expunged certain remarks used by the senators and repeatedly instructed the PML-N senator to focus on the budget in his speech.
Responding yet to another member of the PPP Sassui Palijo who dubbed Nawaz Sharif as 'na-ahal wazir-e-azam' [disqualified prime minister], Mushahidullah said, "It is a fact that Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif, but don't forget the same court had also termed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as a murderer."
"Let me also make another revelation...better you should ask it from Asif Ali Zardari as to who was the first chairman of Zia Himayat Tehreek," he asked the PPP senators. Furious with the harsh criticism on the party and its leadership, Opposition Leader Sherry Rehman, later speaking on a point of order, accused the treasury member of making deliberate attempts to disrupt the debate on the budget in the House.
Referring to the empty front row assigned for the ministers, Rehman said the government has no interest in taking important input from the House, adding that it is evident from the attitude of treasury members and the absence of ministers. She, then, led the walkout from the House of the combined opposition. Earlier Mushahidullah Khan, who is minister for climate change, said PML-N government restored peace in Karachi, scaled down inflation, defeated terrorism, and revamped Pakistan's economy.
He said the government initiated projects across Pakistan without any discrimination, adding that his party's government funded K-4 project in Karachi, Green Line bus project, and other projects of highways and motorways in Sindh. The minister said PML-N government started work on Diamer-Bhasha Dam and completed extension of Tarbela and Mangla Dams. He claimed that the PML-N enjoys complete confidence of the people and it has presented a public friendly budget.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Khan Swati while taking part in the debate challenged the claims of the PML-N made in its 2013 election manifesto. He said the circular debt has reached more than Rs 1 trillion while the budget suggests no measure to deal with the situation. He further said the government has completely neglected the agriculture sector, adding that no measures have been proposed to ensure food security. He further said the education and health are also neglected sectors despite the PML-N had claimed in its manifesto to allocate 2 percent of the GDP alone to the health.
Swati stressed the need for enhancing tax base in the country. He emphasized on reforming and facilitating the agriculture and energy sectors. "Let's sit together and prepare such a budget which would be able to put the country on its right path," he added. PML-N Senator Lieutenant-General Abdul Qayyum (retd) said the government has presented a pragmatic budget, adding that besides criticism, the opposition should also appreciate the good work done by the government.
He said the PML-N government has added 12230MW electricity in the national grid by completing various energy projects including Neelam-Jhelum, enhancement of Tarbela Power Station, LNG-based power projects, coal fired power plants, and nuclear and renewable energy projects. He said it is fact that foreign debt has increased which, he said, was spent on the energy projects.
Awami National Party's (ANP) Sitara Ayaz said new budget does not seem pro-poor, adding that the government needs to facilitate smaller provinces to bring them at par with developed parts of the country. She said the allocation of Rs 24 billion to FATA is just a peanut, adding that the implementation on the FATA reforms, education and health sectors and rehabilitation of the temporarily displaced persons need more funds and the budgeted amount is injustice with the people of FATA.
PPP Senator Sassui Palijo said nothing significant has been presented for Sindh and other smaller provinces in the budget. She said the budget was presented without approving the National Finance Commission Award. "How could the government describe it as people's budget when it was presented by a non-elected person?" she questioned, adding that the PML-N even negated Nawaz Sharif's narrative of 'give respect to vote.'She said a huge cut of billions of rupees was made with smaller provinces. PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan said indirect taxes have been increased in the budget which would further burden the poor masses, adding that it does not entail anything to provide relief to common people.