June 8, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 7: The federal budget for the year 2003-04 has elicited a mixed response from the leaders of political parties, as those belonging to the treasury benches claimed the budget had provided a relief to the government employees, while those from the opposition side termed it a directionless and stereotype document.

Opposition leaders were of the view that the budget would benefit the World bank and the IMF as it lacked any incentive for the poor and downtrodden people.

Secretary-General of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Maulana Fazlur Rahman said: “The budget has been prepared in line with the guidelines of the World Bank and the IMF and would safeguard their interests.

MMA’s Deputy Secretary-General Liaquat Baloch said: “It is the fourth budget of Shaukat Aziz which does not offer any relief to the common man.”

He said no effort had been made to lower the cost of living for the poor masses whereas prices of petroleum products were raised every quarter.

Acting president of PML-N Makhdoom Javed Hashmi in his reaction said in his entire speech the finance minister made no mention of common man.

He alleged that the budget was prepared to appease the international financial agencies and it offered no new project for the welfare of common people. He was of the view that unemployment would increase after the budget.

PML-N MNA Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the government had made a mockery of the Constitution. He rejected the government claim that public was not interested in the LFO and they only needed two square meals a day. “It does not mean that you do not give people their rights and just give them meals,” he said.

PPP senator Farhatullah Babar said the budget had been presented before the setting up of the National Finance Commission as required under Article 160 of the Constitution for division of resources among the provinces.

He said all claims of economic turnaround and mega projects made in the budget document were bogus.

Mr Babar said: “Whether it’s the claim of bringing down inflation to three per cent, or increasing job opportunities, or increase in reserves, the facts have been concealed behind half truths and misstatements.”

He claimed that inflation stood at over 10 per cent, unemployment had actually increased during the previous year and thousands of civilian jobs had been given to the serving and retired military officers during the previous year.

The PPP senator was of the view that the claim that no mini budgets would be presented would soon be belied as the utilities and petroleum prices would continue to increase, imposing a mini budget almost every month.

The PPP leader also expressed reservations over the increase in military allocations from Rs146 billion to over Rs160 billion and viewed it as “robbing the poor of Pakistan to enrich the generals rather than strengthening the defence of the country”.