ISLAMABAD, June 12: Political parties have reacted variously to the budgetary proposals presented in the National Assembly and Senate here on Saturday evening.
The opposition described it as a budget without any 'real relief' for the common man, while the government side termed it a historic budget.
Some political groups welcomed the proposed increase in salaries and pensions but described it as insufficient, with no for the working class. They feared mini-budgets during the fiscal year in the shape of increases in prices of petroleum products and electricity and other utility charges.
The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and MMA Secretary-General, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, said that claims of growth were hallow since poverty had increased in the last year.
Talking to newsmen in his parliament house chamber, he said: "We hoped that steps would be taken to introduce interest-free economy in accordance with the Supreme Court's directive but that had neither been done nor any intention was expressed."
President and parliamentary leader in the National Assembly of the ruling PML, Chaudhry Shujat Hussain, said it was a historic budget and a success story of the present government.
Talking to newsmen at the parliament house, he defended the increase in the defence budget and said it was necessary to strengthen the country's security.
The detained president of the ARD and acting president of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and the party's acting parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in their separate reactions rejected the budget, describing it as a jugglery of figures.
In his statement issued from jail, Makhdoom Hashmi asked the government to submit the defence budget for debate and approval of the National Assembly.
Chaudhry Nisar said the claims that the budget would give relief to the common man were wrong. It would benefit only the rich, he said. He said that the claims of poverty reduction were false when seen in the light of latest Asian Bank report which claimed that more than 34 per cent Pakistanis lived below poverty line.
The People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) rejected the budget and criticized the unconstitutional manner in which it was presented, without a decision on the National Finance Commission award as required under the constitution.
PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar dismissed the claims of an economic turnaround and talk of mega-projects as bogus claims and mega-lies.
"Last year also the government had claimed that inflation had been brought down and job opportunities increased. But the people witnessed how poor and jobless continued to commit suicide," he added.
Another senior PPP lawmaker, Syed Naveed Qamar, termed the budget highly disappointing, especially for the lower strata of the society since it did not offer any respite from high prices of essential commodities. He termed the government's household survey as unrepresentative on the basis of which it claimed increase in household expenses.
Deputy parliamentary leader of MMA Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said that because of the failure of the government in announcing the NFC award the NWFP and Balochistan were unable even to prepare their budgets.
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed welcomed the budget describing it as people-friendly.
He justified the proposed increase in the defence budget which, he said, was necessitated by the increase prices of petroleum and other utilities.
Defence Minister and chairman PPP (Patriots) Rao Sikandar Iqbal said: "It is an excellent and historic budget which provides historic relief to the common man."