KARACHI, June 8: Speakers at a post-budget seminar on Wednesday rejected government claims of presenting a “people-friendly” budget for next fiscal and called for re-examining national priorities with more spending on health and education sectors instead of defense.

The seminar on “Federal Budget 2006-07, poverty, inflation, corruption and extortion” was organized by the Jamat-i-Islami (JI) Karachi and was addressed by former City Nazim Karachi Naimatullah Khan, economist Shahid Hasan Siddiqui, Amir JI Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui, Pakistan Business Forum leader Ahmed Parekh, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rahman, Abdul Wahid and businessman Naeem Rafi.

Naimatullah Khan criticized the government for federal budget 2006-07 and claimed that Pakistan's economy was being manipulated on directives from US, which does not want to see Pakistan progressing economically.

“Finance Ministers are either imported from the US or appointed on its directives since Ayub Khan's era. Unless capitalist system is replaced by the Islamic system of economy, people will continue cursing the economy and its managers” he opined.

Economist Shahid Hasan Siddiqui termed the budget “disappointing and unrealistic”.

JI Karachi Amir Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui dispelled the impression that incentives were offered to common people in the budget and described steps announced in the budget for masses as “peanuts”.

He also criticized the government for enhancing allocation of defense instead of increasing spending on health and education sectors.

According to him, extortion, Ghunda taxes and street crimes besides poverty, unemployment and price-hike had made the lives of people miserable and unless Islamic economic system is implemented, people will continue to suffer.—PPI