ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Saturday adopted a resolution urging the federal government to transfer the amount that had already been allocated and released for various ongoing development projects in the country to a specific account to prevent their lapsing at the end of the financial year on June 30.

The resolution was moved by Minister for Water Resources Khurshid Shah while interrupting the debate on the federal budget.

The resolution demanded that the federal government transfer the community head development funds, which are released on the demand of the community for various uplift schemes, to non-lapsable and ‘PLA-III’ (Personal Ledger Account). It pointed out that projects under SDGs achievement programme were initiated, but still incomplete.

PPP lawmaker says Miftah was ‘much better’ than Dar

Budget debate

It was the second consecutive day when the PML-N faced criticism from within the treasury benches as independent MNA from the tribal areas Mohsin Dawar refused to talk on the budget as mark of protest over the arrest and torture of a political worker, while another PPP MNA from Sukkur Nauman Islam Shaikh criticised Finance Minister Ishaq Dar over his ‘failure’ in improving the economy.

“What is there in this budget for which I praise it?” asked the PPP MNA while assailing the government for, what he called, not taking the difficult and long-term decisions to improve the economic situation.

In his speech, Mr Shaikh declared that former finance minister Miftah Ismail was much better the incumbent finance minister.

“Dar Sahib, your party can’t criticise you, but we can. Miftah [Ismail] was taking this country in the right direction,” he said, adding: “Now you [Mr Dar] have been given the responsibility, for God’s sake, fulfill it so that we can bring this country out of crisis.”

Mr Shaikh also asked ex-PM Nawaz Sharif to return. “Why are you [Mr Sharif] hesitant?” he said.

Earlier during the budget debate, Mr Dawar referred to the arrest of PTM activist Alamzeb Masood and said how the economy could stabilise when political workers were being ‘picked up and tortured’.

Also, GDA lawmaker Saira Bano in her speech criticised government’s economic policies.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2023