ISLAMABAD, Jun 17 (APP):Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on Tuesday acknowledged economic improvements but voiced concerns over urban neglect, power shortages, and tax burdens and urged the federal government to prioritize regional development, energy relief, and increased funding for education.
On the fourth day of the budget debate, lawmakers called for fair wages, greater support for low-income groups, and the removal of tax on solar panels. Overall, they viewed the budget as people-centric, with promising potential for economic growth and job creation.
Resuming the budget debate on fourth day, Mian Khan Bugti of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for allocating substantial funds to improve Balochistan’s road infrastructure. Highlighting the importance of youth involvement in national progress, he called for policies to empower them and demanded immediate action to end load shedding in his constituency.
Syed Amin ul Haque of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) welcomed key economic indicators such as a decline in inflation, rupee stabilization, and a 31% rise in remittances. However, he criticized the provincial government’s neglect of urban centers and called for a dedicated development package for Karachi and Hyderabad. He also urged the federal government to increase the Higher Education Commission’s budget to optimum possible level.
Shahida Akhtar Ali of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMAP) demanded a special risk allowance for fighter pilots and called for greater relief measures for low-income groups. She also stressed the need to reduce income tax for the salaried class.
Shazia Marri of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) condemned Israel’s aggression against Iran. She praised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his team for effectively representing Pakistan on the international stage and conveying a message of peace to the world. Additionally, she criticized the failure to announce minimum wages for workers and called for a reasonable increase in government employees’ salaries. She demanded repeal of the 18 percent General Sales Tax (GST) on solar panels.
Malik Ibrar of PML-N commended the finance bill, describing it as a people-friendly budget focused on economic revival amid challenging circumstances. He highlighted its efforts to curb inflation and expressed confidence that it would create employment opportunities in the country in the coming years.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that no major development scheme was announced in this budget. He demanded that people earning up to 2,200,000 should be exempt from tax. He also said that the budget should allocate funds for emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, as it is essential given the needs of the time.
