National Assembly, Senate begin stormy budget sessions today
By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, June 1: Both houses of parliament will meet on Friday to begin what are likely to be tense budget sessions that will be keenly watched for government-promised relief in the face of one of the severest price hikes prevailing in the country.
The National Assembly session will begin at 10am, advanced by seven hours from the previous schedule of 5pm, which has now been set for the opening of the Senate session summoned on Wednesday.
The federal budget for fiscal 2006-7 will be presented in the National Assembly on Monday and later sent to the Senate the same day, but the government is likely to have a foretaste of planned opposition assaults even before the budget debate.
Both President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have promised that the budget will contain relief in the form of possible price control measures and pay increases for government employees.
But an incredulous opposition is likely to question the government why other steps it announced in recent months to check the prices of essential commodities such as meat, flour, sugar, cooking oil, pulses and cement made little change on the ground.
Apparently buoyed by a ‘charter of democracy’ signed by the exiled leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) as their future political code, the opposition is certain to launch strong political assaults on the government during the budget debate, putting to test a ruling coalition dependent on President Musharraf’s support.
Opposition parties would reiterate their demands that President Musharraf give up his army uniform and a neutral caretaker government oversee the next general elections in 2007, opposition sources said.
Other issues likely to figure in both the sessions include the continuing government crackdown in Balochistan, the anti-militant military campaign in North and South Waziristan, and alleged victimisation of opposition activists.
The general debate on the budget in the National Assembly was likely to continue until June 15 with the passage of the budgetary proposals expected by June 20 or 21, but opposition parties would demand more time to enable a maximum number of members of the 342-seat house make speeches, parliamentary sources said.
They said the Senate might take five days of its likely 10-day session for the budget debate to formulate recommendations that might, or might not, be accepted by the National Assembly.
ADJOURNMENT MOTIONS: The opposition parties had given notices to the secretariats of the National Assembly and the Senate seeking debates on various issues, sources said.
Among them are seven adjournment motions planned by parties in the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, including one about increases in gas rates — 7.2 percent for domestic users and 16 per cent for commercial users — announced by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority to be effective from July 1.
Two motions seek discussion on contaminated drinking water that reportedly killed dozens of people in Hyderabad and afflicted hundreds with gastroenteritis in Faisalabad.
One motion seeks debate on a visit to the United States by Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool with his wife and staff in 2004 using funds meant for a visit of artistes to perform before overseas Pakistanis.
