ISLAMABAD, May 9 (APP):Minister for Defense Khurram Dastagir Wednesday while reaffirming Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N)’s resolve to make Pakistan prosper and developed country, stressed the need to ensure supremacy of the Constitution.
Resuming budget debate in the National Assembly, he said the country was created through democratic struggle and its
Constitution also ensures democracy. “Siege of democracy is continued. However, running the affairs of the country through elected members is a real spirit of the democracy,” he said.
Recounting five years achievement of PML-N government, the minister said the incumbent government made impossible things possible by completing host of development progress across the country besides bring peace and tranquility to restive areas including North and South Waziristan and Karachi.
He said he witnessed a new dawn in Miranshah few days ago where a state-of-the-art bazaar was inaugurated by the prime minister.
“Equipments and gadgets of terrorism were being sold in the Miranshah bazaar some five years ago but now owing to the sacrifices of armed forces and government commitment, the whole area has been purged from the terrorists,” he said.
Around 4,500 security forces personnel of one division had laid their lives for restoring peace in this area, he said.
Khurram said the country was put on path of progress and prosperity owing to the pragmatic policies. Efforts were made to carry out development projects in all four provinces during the last five years, he said.
He said 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum project which was considered impossible had already been completed and inaugurated by the prime minister last month. New transmission line was laid for evacuation of power from the project, he added.
He said impossible projects like Tarbela 4th Project, Lowari Tunnel, Kachhi Canal, Sahiwal and Haveli Bahdur Shah and Bikki
Power projects were made possible by the PML-N government.
He said untiring efforts of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and courage of voters have made all impossible projects possible.
On economic front, the minister said the country’s exports witnessed sharp increase and achieved highest GDP growth of 5.8 percent in last 13 years.
He said China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project was launched in the country. Under CPEC, score of projects in energy and infrastructure sectors, port were completed, he said.
He said despite repeated attacks on the elected government to remove it unconstitutionally, work on PML-N development agenda remained continued with full swing.
Khurram said the government always respected judiciary and its decision and Nawaz Sharif vacated PM House within four hour after disqualification decision.
The PML-N workers accepted the court decisions and never block any road, he said. “We fully respect all institutions but no one should snatch our right of criticism,” he said.
He said PML-N was demanding for giving respect to sanctity of vote in the country.
Regarding National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman alleged allegation of $ 4.9 billion money laundering against former PM Nawaz Sharif, the minister said the World Bank had also rejected the claim. The State Bank of Pakistan had also rejected the report of World Bank in 2016, he said.
He claimed that trail of PML-N supreme leader was not being carried out rather it was trial of supremacy of the people.
Nawab Ali Wassan of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said his party always struggled for strengthening and supremacy of the Parliament and its leaders rendered supreme sacrifices in this regard.
He said PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari handover all powers to the parliament. He was of the views that the PPP always remained firmly stood with democracy and fully supported the government during sit-in in 2014.
Dr Shreen Mazari of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf criticized the government for not bringing Federally Administered Tribal Areas into the mainstream due to blackmailing at hands of its two allied parties.
She also criticized the foreign policy of PML-N government and claimed that our relations with Iran and Afghanistan had been
made further strained due to wrong policies.
She said concrete foreign policy could not be devised despite passing a unanimously resolution by this august house in 2017.
Participating in budget debate, Shireen Mazari criticized the government
for abandoning Kashmir, saying no step was taken by the incumbent government to
help its resolution during its five years tenure.
She said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) would be giving strategy in its manifesto
for permanent solution of Kashmir issue in accordance with United Nations
Resolutions.
She said that attack on Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal was a question
mark on government’s claims of restoring peace in the country.
Ramesh Lal, while participating in the budget debate said that no
scheme was announced for the minorities of the country. He said that the price
of Dollar was Rs97 in 2013 which has no gone up to Rs120 during the PML (N)
tenure.
Sabiha Nazir congratulated finance minister
and his team for presenting 6th budget. She drew the attention of
the house towards alarming growth in population, which she said needed
immediate attention.
She also demanded withdrawal of leasing
facility for cars to overcome the increasing traffic problems all across the
country and also urged for banning the excessive smoke-emitting vehicles to
come on roads.
She said that some people were politicizing
South Punjab issue, saying that contrary to the claims of some political
parties, the people living in that region do not feel any deprivation.
Shaikh Salahuddin of MQM while participating
in the debate said that the government should have given tax relief for
promotion of business in the budget, but it failed to do so.
He also criticized the amnesty scheme
announced by the government and demanded the government to announce the names of
those who intended to take advantage of this scheme.
He said that there was shortfall of 8000
megawatt electricity as the demand was 24,000 megawatt while the country
currently was producing only 16,000 megawatt electricity. He urged the government
to take advantage of wind corridor in Sindh to generate electricity of around
50000 megawatt with wind.
Aliya Kamran of PML-N speaking on the
occasion said that the government despite challenges have sustained growth. She
urged that notwithstanding the weaknesses, the democratic system should be
allowed to function in the country to help it development.
Col
Amirullah Marwat of PTI claimed that the southern districts of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa were being ignored in development projects while Asiya Naz Tanoli
of PML-N said that it was the first time in the history of the country that any
democratic government was presenting its 6th budget.
She said that
today’s Pakistan was better than the Pakistan of 2013, owing to prudent
policies of the incumbent government and former Prime Minister, Muhammad Nawaz
Sharif.
She was that
Pakistan was on path of progress, adding that the China Pakistan Economic
Corridor project (CPEC) was an example journey towards development.
She also
demanded enhancing fund for Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal to help and facilitate the
poor of the country.
Abdul Sattar
Bachani of PPPP while participating in the debate said that the only way to
lead the country towards progress and prosperity is to give equal attention
towards small provinces. He said that the small provinces should not be ignored
and should be given their due right.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan of PTI said that no
relief was given to common people in the budget.
He said Pakistan economy is largely based
on agro product but maximum subsidies given to agro sector in past has
gradually been withdrawn.
He said Indian Punjab has been producing
agri products to meet the demand of over one billion population due to
provision of subsidies by Indian government. However, he said no such subsidies
were being provided in Pakistan resulting import of various argi products.
He alleged that despite tall claims, the
government has failed to end power load-shedding in the country and still areas
were facing 10-18 hours load-shedding.
He said unfortunately all dams were
politicized and no major reservoir was built during the last 40 years.
He said as per World Bank, Pakistan has
among the water scarce countries but despite allocation of funds in PSDP, no physical
work was started on any dam.
He alleged that people of his constituency were
being politicized and no fund was released for the areas as PTI emerged
victorious party from it.