Shehbaz blasts govt's 'fake budgets', says they caused 5m job losses
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif is heavily criticising the PTI government for its "fake budgets", saying they had resulted in job losses for five million people.
He was finally able to deliver his budget speech on Thursday after three previous sessions of the House were adjourned due to chaotic behaviour by both treasury as well as opposition members.
He said that in the last three years, many taxes were imposed by the PTI government because of which the "poor man's meals have been halved." Hunger and hopelessness had been created in the country because of previous budgets, he said, adding that Budget 2021-2022 would further increase inflation and the poor would suffer more.
"20 million people have fallen below the poverty line in these three years. Income has been reduced by 20 per cent. People are asking where are the 10.5m jobs [promised by the PTI]. As a result of these fake budgets, 5m people have lost their jobs."
Shehbaz claimed that posh housing projects had also been included in government housing schemes aimed at poor people. "What is bigger fudging and deception than this?" he questioned. He said 15pc unemployment had been combined with 16pc inflation, asking whether "anyone had imagined that a man would sleep hungry in Riasat-e-Madinah".
"They say we will create Naya Pakistan. It is obvious that the old Pakistan was better when the country was somehow made to progress," he quipped. The PML-N leader pointed out that there was a "lack of trust" among provinces and between the provinces and the federal government, claiming that "such differences have never been seen before."
Editorial: It is perplexing why Fawad Chaudhry decided to launch an unprovoked attack on the Sindh govt"If only Punjab progresses and the rest of Pakistan does not, then it is not progress," he emphasised.
Shehbaz said that instead of solving issues such as food inflation, the PTI government had spent the time "taking revenge from the opposition". He said nobody was saying that accountability should not happen but "fairness should be the benchmark" for it. Shehbaz also criticised the PTI government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, saying "the entire opposition termed Covid as a 'national emergency' which [they and the government] would tackle together after setting aside our differences."
He recalled that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had then called a conference which was also attended by PM Imran Khan. "We were all [united] on this but the prime minister left after his speech. Was there something more important than Covid?" The Rs1.2 trillion package to deal with the coronavirus that was announced by the govt also "fell victim to incompetence and negligence", Shehbaz said.
"China and other countries gave us vaccines as gifts but did we have to start (the vaccination campaign) with just gifts? What did you (the government) do in the space you got between the waves of the virus?" he questioned.