ISLAMABAD: Newly-appointed Finance Minister Miftah Ismail delivered the budget speech on Friday surrounded by his colleagues from the treasury benches, who made a protective circle around him, after some members of opposition parties tried to disrupt his attempts to present the sixth annual budget by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

The opposition parties, most prominent among them the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), have already rejected the government’s decision to present the budget for a full financial year, even though its term is about to end in a month’s time.

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Led by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, the members of opposition parties walked out of the National Assembly as soon as Mr Ismail began the budget speech. But the house was silent for a short time only, as several PTI leaders returned, this time, to create a rumpus and to stop the finance minister from completing his speech.

The opposition members first gathered in front of the speaker’s dais and then walked towards the treasury benches shouting anti-government slogans. The situation grew tense after some PTI leaders physically attempted to stop the minister from reading out his speech.

They tore up the copies of the budget documents and the agenda and threw it into the air as well as on the finance minister, who continued his speech while removing the pieces of paper from his dais.

Several members of the PML-N then rushed to form a protective circle around the finance minister. Yet the commotion by opposition members was so fierce that even Speaker Ayaz Sadiq decided not to issue a warning to them, and simply watched the brouhaha unfold on the assembly’s floor.

Murad Saeed, PTI’s MNA from Swat, known for his hot-blooded reactions, atte­mpted to physically assault an equally volatile Minister of State for Water Abid Sher Ali, when the latter held up a shoe during the protest. The guests in the galleries were surprised to see Murad Saeed jump over the tables and the chairs trying to get at the minister, but timely intervention by senior leaders from both sides prevented the situation from getting out of hand. Several PTI MNAs, including Shahryar Afridi and Ali Muhammad Khan, grabbed Murad Saeed and dragged him out of the hall, leaving behind members of the treasury and MNAs of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) who stayed for the speech. Towards the beginning of the session, Khursheed Shah said by presenting the budget for a full financial year, the PML-N government was snatching a democratic right of the next government.

Speaking amid slogans of “shame shame”, the opposition leader raised the objection that the budget was being announced by a non-elected member of parliament, and termed it an “insult” to the House. He claimed that the government had incorrectly interpreted the Constitutional provision under which Mr Miftah has been made a full-fledged federal minister.

“I always say respect the Parliament and make it supreme; but once again, you are making decisions outside parliament. This is the first time an unelected person is presenting the budget,” Mr Shah said.

PTI’s parliamentary leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi endorsed Mr Shah’s viewpoint and told the prime minister that he still had time to change his decision and present the budget only for a quarter.

Prior to the walkout by members of opposition parties, PM Abbasi defended the government’s decision to let Mr Ismail present the budget.

“I understand your pain for democracy and the Constitution,” the prime minister said, making a pointed remark at opposition members. He added that they had wanted to present the budget to ensure continuity of the system.

“Whichever party comes next can change the budget. Unfortunately, if you come to the power, then you can change it. And then I will see what changes will you make,” the prime minister said, claiming that the government was about to announce a historic budget which would provide relief to the masses.

SENATE: After delivering his speech in the National Assembly, the finance minister laid down the budget documents before the Senate, once again, amid a noisy protest from the opposition benches.

Earlier, Opposition Leader Sherry Rehman termed the budget “financial terrorism” and a step towards “fascism”. She was of the view that a government elected for five years did not have the right to present a sixth budget.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2018