ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday began a lacklustre debate on the federal budget for the next financial year with an unimpressive speech by Opposition Leader Raja Riaz Ahmed as the lower house of the parliament adopted another resolution urging the government to initiate proceedings against those involved in the vandalism of military installations on May 9 under Pakistan Army Act, 1952, without any delay.

The resolution, moved by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, claims that evidence was available to prove involvement of “a political party and its chief” in the attacks on the country’s military installations on May 9 “which caused irreparable loss to the state and its institutions”.

Interestingly, there is no mention of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) or its chairman Imran Khan in the whole text of the resolution, though the lawmakers in their speeches lashed out at Mr Khan and termed the PTI an “anti-state” entity.

The resolution calls for trial and conviction of all those involved in the May 9 incidents “without a delay of even a single day”, besides refuting PTI’s allegations of human rights abuses during the action against the “criminals and miscreants” and terming it “a lie and propaganda”.

Reading out the resolution, the minister said the important leaders of the party [PTI] were not even ready to take the burden of the party and its chairman’s “anti-Pakistan activities and they had disassociated themselves from it, thus “validating that this party and its head’s agenda is based on enmity with Pakistan”.

Lone member of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, though supported the government’s plan to prosecute those who had attacked military installations and desecrated martyrs’ monuments during the protests in the aftermath of the arrest of Mr Khan on May 9, forcefully opposed the move to try these civilians in military courts. He was of the view that rioters should be tried in the civil and anti-terrorism courts.

The defence minister took the floor again and said they had not introduced any special legislation for this purpose as laws in this regard were already available. Alleging that the courts had become “partisan”, he said it was the right of the armed forces to deal with the internal and external threats.

Moreover, according to the minister, those convicted by the military courts would have the three opportunities to file appeal against the verdict. He said the convicted persons could first file an appeal before the army chief and later before a high court and the Supreme Court.

Budget debate

Only two members took part in the budget debate on the opening day when the house met after a two-day recess.

Initiating the debate as per the parliamentary tradition, PTI dissident and Opposition Leader Raja Riaz Ahmed regretted lack of incentives for agriculture, health and education sectors in the budget.

Expressing his concern over the prevailing price hike, Mr Ahmed called for restoring the price control magistrate system in the country. He also called for increasing pensions of the government employees up to 30 per cent.

In his budget speech, Mr Ahmed also criticised his former boss Imran Khan and uttered some unparliamentary words which were expunged by Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Mr Salahuddin of the MQM-P praised the government for announcing relief measures for the poor, but said the budget seemed to be “unrealistic” and claimed that the government would not be able to achieve the targets set in the budget.

He said the present government would remain in the office for two months only and the new government might have to reverse some of the measures announced in the budget. The National Assembly will meet again on Tuesday at 11am.

Separately, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, headed by PPP’s Saleem Mandviwalla, on Monday started deliberations on the Finance Bill 2023-24, generally known as the federal budget, to prepare recommendations of the Senate which would be submitted to the National Assembly at the time of the passage of the budget.

PTI criticises resolution

The PTI on Monday criticised the PDM government for adopting a resolution in the National Assembly seeking initiation of proceedings against those involved in the vandalism of military installations on May 9 under the Army Act, 1952, without any delay.

In a statement issued here on Monday, PTI leader Hammad Azhar said the PDM resolution in support of military courts would be remembered as a ‘black chapter’ in the history of parliamentary politics.

Ikram Junaidi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2023