KARACHI, June 24: The opposition in the Sindh Assembly, despite its small numbers (18 in a house of 168 members) on Tuesday put up a good show when Arif Ali Khan Jatoi of the National People’s Party dissected the budget 2008-09.

Although it was the fourth day of general discussion on the budget, it was for the first time some senior members of the treasury benches were seen unnerved when Mr Jatoi started quoting figures from the budget documents to prove that the document had many errors.

When some ministers tried to interrupt his speech, Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, who was presiding over the session, came to the rescue of Mr Jatoi by restraining the treasury members from interrupting. He advised them that if they had any objections, they would get their chance to speak.

Mr Jatoi claimed that in the budget, the projected deficit was Rs14 billion, which did not include food subsidy on import of wheat. This would add a deficit of Rs7 billion while recruitment of 50,000 employees in the government would incur an extra cost of over Rs2 billion, enhancing the deficit volume to over Rs23 billion.

Besides, enhanced electricity bill after the revised power charges and petroleum expenditure would further add to the deficit.

“The government had promised 23 per cent increase over last year’s budget on account of law and order. The inflation rate was 16 per cent, which means the actual increase would be less than the projected figures,” he said.

Mr Jatoi said that in the budget, Rs2 billion were projected for building 100,000 houses for the homeless. “Will the number of houses be able to be built with the amount?” he asked.

Besides Mr Jatoi, two other members from the opposition who participated in the discussion were Ms Marvi Rashdi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and Dr Sajeela Leghari. Ms Rashdi, who returned to the assembly for the first time, made her mark by delivering a speech worthy of a mature politician.

‘Angels at work’

She said despite a heavy mandate, the Pakistan People’s Party had failed to provide relief to the people as their was no let-up in rates of flour, rice and electricity charges.

“This budget was conceived and prepared by angels,” she said, while she asked the government that the next budget should be prepared by “representatives of the people.”

Dr Sajeela Leghari of the PML-Q said instead of raising fingers at the past government, it was high time to join hands in rising over party affiliations to steer the province out from the mess and provide relief to the people.

During the general discussion, which lasted over three hours from 12.45pm to 5.45pm with an over hour-long break for Zohr, a total of 24 members participated, including three from the opposition.

The overall thrust of the speakers from the treasury side was proving the budget was ‘poor-friendly’ and balanced in the given situation.

Zahid Bhurgari of the PPP, responding to the speech of Mr Jatoi, delivered an impassioned speech and said former chief minister Dr Arbab Rahim had “run away” from the country.

He said whenever a PPP government had come to power it had provided employment to the people and had never indulged in depriving anyone of their bread and butter. He said the PPP had never come to power on the shoulders of agencies but with the votes of the people.

‘Law and order has improved’

Recalling the elimination of the entire leadership of the Sunni Tehreek in the Nishtar Park blast, murder of Allama Hasan Turabi and recurrent bomb blasts, suicides committed by people due to hunger and unemployment during the past government, he said in the two months the present government had been in power, there was visible change in the law and order situation.

Moeen Pirzada of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement said merely increasing the allocation for the home department would not contribute in checking crime and law and order unless modern methods of investigation were applied.

Muqeem Alam of the MQM said the larger the mandate, the larger the responsibilities as people now had a lot of expectations from the government. “We could not have the excuse of saying that the opposition did not allow us to function.”

Imran Zafar Leghari of the PPP said that if GST was withdrawn from flour, rice, sugar and other essentials, it would have provided due relief to the people.

Mohammad Adil Khan of the MQM said that the raise in policemen’s salaries was not enough to improve the force’s performance and what was required was due training in ethics and morality.

Naheed Begum of the MQM said there was a need to make a comprehensive strategy for the budget so that proposals could be accommodated in the development plan.

Rainaz Bozdar of the PPP, who returned for the first time, delivered an emotional speech and said it would take time to clean up the mess of past governments and said that the government would accomplish the mission of Benazir Bhutto of providing “Roti, Kapra aur Makan.”

Shanaz Saifuddin of the MQM, who had returned to the assembly for the first time, raised the issue of smoke-emitting vehicles.

Rehana Shah of the PPP proposed the construction of a sports complex and medical college in Thatta to be named after Benazir Bhutto.

Dr Sikandar Shoro, Abdul Haq Bhurt, Abdul Salam Tahiem, Shamim Zain Pathan, Lal Chand and Nasrullah Baloch of the PPP and Nadeem Maqbool, Farzana Begum and Manzar Imam of the MQM also spoke.

Law Minister Ayaz Soomro made a brief statement in the house under Rule 215 recalling that since yesterday, the escape of Kamran Tessori was repeatedly referred to. He said Tessori was a criminal and the front-man of Arbab Rahim, who had plundered the province hand in glove with Arbab.