ISLAMABAD: Blasting the government over its handling of the economy and the coronavirus situation, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Tuesday the deal with the International Monetary Fund reached last year had now become “outdated and irrelevant” after the spread of Covid-19.

Taking part in a debate on the federal budget in the National Assembly, the PPP chief alleged that the government was today more worried about payments to the IMF than about providing relief to farmers, labourers, daily wage earners and to those doctors, nurses and police personnel who are fighting Covid-19, as well as sanitary workers.

In a hard-hitting speech, Mr Bhutto-Zardari warned the government against raising sensitive issues like the 18th Amendment and the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award as these were the country’s “faultlines”.

The young PPP chairman alleged that instead of helping the provinces during these hard times, the Centre had started depriving the provinces of their rightful share in the NFC Award. “How will provinces fight Covid-19 without the centre’s support. Where will you spend Rs229 billion which you have cut from Sindh’s share?” he asked ami­dst slogans of “shame, shame” by the opposition.

Accuses govt of slashing provinces’ share in NFC; NA witnesses ruckus over minister’s remarks against Khawaja Asif

“Don’t you [the government] feel ash­­­­­­amed of cutting the share of Balo­ch­­­istan only to feed Islamabad?” he went on, accusing the rulers of even depriving Gilgit-Baltistan of its Rs6bn share.

“We are not colonies. We want to walk side by side and help each other,” he said, alleging that the government had not allotted enough money for the provinces to battle Covid-19 and the locust threat. “This budget is not a budget for current times, and that too of a country battling the Covid-19 and locust attacks,” he observed.

He also castigated the federal government and some leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for holding ordinary people responsible for the spread of Covid-19.

“How dare you blame the Pakistani nation for your criminal negligence? The people will surely give you an answer in the elections,” the PPP chief said with confidence.

He criticised the government for not listening to the World Health Organisa­tion (WHO) during the pandemic, saying that had they imposed a stricter lockdown during Ramazan and on the occasion of Eid, the situation could have been brought under control.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said, was listening only to businessmen, ind­ustrialists and his ATMs [a term used for his alleged financial supporters]. “We are the only country which protected our right to shop, but did not protect our right to life,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari regretted. He also lashed out at the rulers for not increasing salaries and pensions of government employees.

He was of the view that the government should have imposed taxes on the rich and given relief to others. He suggested imposition of a Covid-19 super tax on those who have an annual income of more than Rs3 million.

The PPP chairman also opposed the government’s move to privatise the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) after offering a golden handshake to over 9,000 employees.

“We cannot lay them off. The land is ours. If you have to do something, then talk to us,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, adding that the federal government could lay off PSM workers as the Sindh government had already protected their jobs during the pandemic through the Corona Ordinance.

He lambasted the government for taking over three Karachi hospitals. “They want to steal the hospitals of provincial governments. Why do you want to fight with the provinces during a pandemic?”

Referring to a decision to include Azad Kashmir in the NFC, Mr Bhutto-Zardari described the move as unconstitutional, warning that it could have international repercussions.

Communications Minister Murad Saeed began his reply to Bilawal’s speech in his characteristic, combative style. But by then all the opposition members had left the house. He defended the government’s policy of lockdown and the budgetary proposals, blaming the previous governments for the present economic mess.

Ruckus in assembly

Earlier, the same minister caused a ruckus in the house when he launched personal attacks on PML-N’s Khawaja Asif after the latter sought an explanation from the government over the reported statements of Prime Minister Imran Khan and some ministers regarding India’s membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and recognition of Israel.

A helpless Qasim Suri, the deputy speaker, after failing to control the situation, finally suspended the proceedings when members had already come face to face and there was a likelihood chance of fistfights. The house resumed proceedings after nearly 50 minutes when Foreign Minis­ter Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrived to reply to Mr Asif’s observations.

Earlier, the opposition had refused to listen to the communications minister when he took the floor to respond to Khawaja Asif’s statement.

Mr Asif had drawn the attention of the house to the statements attributed to PM Khan, Mr Qureshi and Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry regarding India’s membership of the UNSC and recognition of Israel.

Mr Qureshi himself came to the house and gave a policy statement, saying that there had been no change in the old Kashmir and Palestine policies of the government. He asked the opposition to submit names for inclusion in a special committee on the foreign policy.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2020