TAXILA, June 12: People from various walks of life, including politicians, trade union leaders and traders, have shown mixed response to the federal budget with the ruling party leaders welcoming it and the opposition politicians and the trade union leaders terming it anti-people.

Talking to Dawn, the Taxila Tehsil Nazim and PML Rawalpindi district General Secretary Mohammad Sadiq Khan termed the budget people-friendly, saying it provided relief to all the sections of the society.

He said it would improve the living standards of the masses, besides accelerating the pace of development.

The nazim welcomed increase in allocations for education, health, agriculture, highways, water and power, and railways sectors.

PML President Wah Cantonment chapter Malik Taimoor Masood said increase in salary structure was reasonable considering the high expectations.

He said the budget was good but inflation rate had to be controlled.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MPA from Wah Cantonment Prof Mohammad Waqas Khan criticized the budget calling it a budget for the elite.

He said the budget had disappointed the people as no relief had been given to the common man, who had been facing the burden of the high inflation.

“It (the budget) is a document to deceive the masses.”

PPP President, Taxila chapter, Malik Najeebur Rehman said the government had always fudged figures.

He said there was no need to increase the defence budget because of the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan.

PPP President Wah Cantonment chapter Raja Mohammad Khusro said the budget exposed the dismal economic performance of the government.

The president, Anjuman Tajran Taxila, Zahid Rafeeq, termed the budget balanced, incentive-oriented and people-friendly as several taxes had been reduced.

He said relief provided to the industrial sector would help boost the economy.

Heavy Mechanical Complex Labour Union President Zafar Iqbal said low-grade government employees rejected the increase in salaries and pension.