ISLAMABAD, Jun 17 (APP):Senators on Wednesday urged political leaders to rise above partisan politics and take collective ownership of the country's challenges. They also called for collective efforts to address Pakistan’s mounting economic challenges, particularly the country’s growing debt burden, rather than engaging in political blame games. Taking part in the budget debate, Saifullah Abro of PTI said that Pakistan debt is constantly growing. Pakistan’s liabilities have increased steadily over …
Senators call for national ownership, focus on economic challenges
ISLAMABAD, Jun 17 (APP):Senators on Wednesday urged political leaders to rise above partisan politics and take collective ownership of the country’s challenges.
They also called for collective efforts to address Pakistan’s mounting economic challenges, particularly the country’s growing debt burden, rather than engaging in political blame games.
Taking part in the budget debate, Saifullah Abro of PTI said that Pakistan debt is constantly growing. Pakistan’s liabilities have increased steadily over the decades under different governments, arguing that responsibility for the situation rests with all political stakeholders rather than any single party, he added.
He urged the parliamentarians to focus on the root causes of economic difficulties rather than engaging in political point-scoring.
Saifullah Abro also criticized the tendency to use budget debates for attacks on political opponents, saying that criticism of individuals does not resolve the country’s economic problems.
He called for serious deliberations on economic reforms, revenue generation, and fiscal management, maintaining that Pakistan’s challenges can only be addressed through collective efforts, practical policymaking, and a commitment to national interests above political divisions.
He said political parties often hold each other responsible for the country’s problems, while the real issues remain unresolved. All governments over the years have contributed to the current economic situation and that solutions require consensus and cooperation among all stakeholders, he added.
Abro said elected representatives have limited involvement in preparing budgets and key economic policies and the bureaucracy provided selective figures and information to them.
Regarding the national debt, he said Pakistan’s total debt stood at around Rs6.1 trillion in 2008, increased to approximately Rs14 trillion by 2013, Rs25 trillion by 2018 and about Rs50 trillion in 2022, and now climbed to around Rs84 trillion.
He said no single political party should be held solely responsible for the crisis. The lawmakers should work together to identify practical solutions for debt management, revenue generation, and sustainable economic growth in the national interest, he added.
Taking part in the debate, Maulana Abdul Wasay of JUI-F rejected the federal budget and said that the Centre had reduced the provinces’ share of resources.
He said the people of underdeveloped areas, particularly in Balochistan, were struggling for basic necessities of life, including roads, infrastructure, water supply, and other public services.
He said the National Finance Commission Award (NFC) 2010 had significantly benefited Balochistan by providing greater financial resources to the province. However, he expressed concern that no new NFC Award had been finalized despite the constitutional requirement for periodic reviews, he added.
He said that successive governments had failed to convene a new NFC Award, depriving provinces of the opportunity to secure additional resources in line with changing economic realities.
He said that the federal government could not alter the provinces’ constitutional share of revenues without consensus among all federating units.
Maulana Abdul Wasay called for strict adherence to constitutional principles and urged the government to protect provincial rights and ensure equitable distribution of national resources.
Taking part in the budget debate, Agha Shahzaib Durrani of PML-N praised the government’s economic management policies and said Pakistan had successfully navigated major global economic challenges while maintaining stability and signs of growth.
He said the government had taken difficult but necessary decisions to protect the economy during periods of international volatility, particularly in the energy sector.
He said that the global fuel crisis affected countries across the world, including major economies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh.
Durrani said Pakistan initially absorbed part of the burden of rising international oil prices and sought to shield consumers from the full impact of the global energy crisis.
He said that the country managed the situation more effectively than many other nations that experienced severe shortages, rationing or sharp price increases.
Highlighting recent economic indicators, he pointed to growing consumer activity and improving market confidence.
He said that motorcycle sales had witnessed a significant increase, citing figures showing that one major manufacturer sold around 1.8 million motorcycles in the first nine months of fiscal year 2024-25, matching the level achieved during the entire previous year.
The lawmaker said such trends reflected improving purchasing power and economic activity, indicating that the country’s economy was gradually moving in a positive direction.
Shahzaib Durrani said Pakistan has been credited for maintaining open diplomatic channels and playing a key role in de-escalating regional tensions amid fears of escalation toward a wider conflict.
He said while relations between USA and Iran were under severe strain, Pakistan adopted a responsible and constructive diplomatic approach to prevent further deterioration.
He said Pakistan’s leadership ensured that communication channels remained open between USA and Iran although it was a highly complex and challenging task.
He said bringing opposing sides to the negotiating table was a difficult diplomatic achievement that required sustained engagement, patience, and strategic coordination.
He said that many international forums, including global and regional organizations, were unable to achieve similar breakthroughs in comparable situations.
Praising the country’s political and military leadership especially Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, he said the country’s efforts contributed to reducing tensions at a time when the risk of escalation was high, and praised the role of leadership in managing sensitive international dynamics.
