Opposition criticizes PTI govt, vows not to let budget pass

ISLAMABAD: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has rejected the federal government’s budget for the fiscal year 2021-22, saying that the Opposition would work together to not let the budget sail through in the National Assembly.

Talking to journalists after the budget session, Bilawal Bhutto said the people who might have been listening to Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin “must have been thinking that this is some other country’s budget”.

The PPP Chairman further said it did not sound at all like the budget Pakistan needs. “Prime Minister Imran Khan and finance minister’s claims of economic growth are baseless amid historic inflation, unemployment, and poverty,” he added.

Bilawal also said that the finance ministers’ claims were akin to rubbing salt in the wounds of the Pakistanis who are “suffering” due to the government’s policies.

“We will collectively respond to this selected and incompetent government’s budget. I reiterate my promise that all of PPP’s MNAs will entrust their votes to Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif to use against this government’s budget,” he added.

Taking over the presser, Shahbaz Sharif said the Opposition would join hands and give a tough time to the government and will expose their fudged figures. “When poor people are dying of hunger, unemployment and inflation are skyrocketing, how can they claim that the country is witnessing economic growth?” he asked.

To a question, the PML-N President said that the Opposition parties would devise a joint strategy for the no-confidence motion that was moved against NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri a day earlier.