ISLAMABAD, June 11: The Senate on Wednesday completed its first ever debate on the federal budget with only 25 members, most of them from the ruling party, praising the government for presenting what they called a balanced and investment-friendly budget.
Deputy chairman Khalilur Rehman adjourned the session until Thursday evening with an understanding that members’ suggestions, if approved by the house, would be forwarded to the National Assembly for necessary amendments in the budgetary proposals.
Only two Awami National Party senators — Asfandyar Wali and Ilyas Bilour — were left to speak from the opposition benches because of the opposition boycott of the budget debate in both the Senate and the National Assembly.
Senator Waqar Ahmad Khan initiated Wednesday’s debate which was also participated by Babar Ghauri (MQM), Bibi Yasmin Shah, Abass Hamid, Syed Dilawar Abbas, Zarina Alam, Kamil Ali Agha, Mrs Abida Saif, Tariq Azim, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Prof Saeed Siddiqui, Zafar Iqbal, Chaudhry, Naeem Chatta, Asif Jatoi, Amin Dadabhai, S.M. Zafar, Ms Tahira Latif, Ms Pari Gul Agha, Mrs Kalsoom Parvin, Mrs Nighat Mirza, Ms Roshan Khurshid Barocha, Mohammad Amjad Abbasi and Anwar Bhindar.
Asfandyar Wali mainly focussed his speech on the provincial autonomy.
He urged the government to consider renaming the North West Frontier Province.
He said what little provincial autonomy had been left was now being infringed upon through the devolution of power, and even if the process was confined to its present position, it would render the provincial chief minister into to the position of a mere post-masters.
He deplored that this was the first budget in which no National Finance Commission award was given and, therefore, it could not be said that the provinces had been taken into confidence in this regard.
The development of the sense of lack of participation among the provinces was a dangerous trend that would have serious repercussions in the future, he warned.
When all the provinces were getting funds through provincial consolidated funds then why NWFP had to run after Wapda to get its due royalty and why the liabilities of the federally administered areas (Fata) were deducted at source from the funds of the NWFP, he asked.
Ilyas Bilour described the budget as a “lobbyist budget” and “no-investment friendly” budget in which, he said, the interest of influential lobbies had been protected.
He deplored the government for giving incentives to car manufacturers, saying the manufacturers had been deceiving the government regarding the deletion programme, remitting more than what they had invested and evading duties to the tune of Rs622 million.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly continued its budget debate for the second day in the absence of opposition members.
Only five members of the treasury benches took part in the debate. Malik Amin Aslam termed the budget as balanced and people- friendly.
Dr Sher Afgan of People’s Party Patriots consumed most of his time defending the LFO and criticizing the opposition’s behaviour.
The MNA from Mianwali called for construction of Kalabagh Dam, saying that the new budget mentioned many dams.