KARACHI, June 14: In the absence of a finance minister, Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad, who holds the portfolio of Excise and Taxation, will present the Sindh budget 2006-07 in the provincial assembly at 3pm on Thursday.

Syed Sardar Ahmad has presented three budgets in the assembly as finance minister. He is repeating the exercise as M. A. Jalil, who is looking after the finance portfolio, is a non-elected member of the Sindh cabinet.

The assembly’s budget session will be presided over by Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah and the proceedings of the day will confine to the budget speech.

Some fireworks are expected during the budget speech as the opposition benches are likely to record their protest over the recent demolition of the ancient graves of Mororo Mirbehar Brothers by the government.

MPA Rafiq Engineer of the PPP said the opposition would also take up the issue of presenting the budget without the NFC Award which, he claimed, was unconstitutional.

The opposition may also take up the issue of pledging just 42,000 jobs in every budget, and instead of providing the jobs, fleecing thousands of aspirants by selling them job application forms for Rs100 each.

The combined opposition, comprising PPP and MMA, would hold a joint meeting in the chamber of the leader of opposition in the assembly before going to the house to formulate their strategy.

During the budget session, members from the opposition benches would subject the government to tough grilling over its failure in honouring its commitment of delivering goods.