ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) on Wednesday expressed strong conviction that Pakistan would regain confidence of international financial institutions after the incumbent government took corrective measures in the Federal Budget 2022-23 to improve the national economy.
Participating in budget debate in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Faqir Ahmed of PML-N, said the national economy would progress in a sustainable way after the budget approval from the House.
With the budget’s passage, he said financial institutions like International Monetary Fund (IMF) would be extending more cooperation to Pakistan, and the health of ailing national economy would improve.
Terming the budget 2022-23 ‘good one’ in the prevailing economic situation, he stressed the need for all institutions’ full support to the government in execution of its fiscal plan to steer the country out of financial crisis.
The lawmaker asked for providing improved health and education facilities across the country, suggesting provision of free medicines and transport to patients in the public sector hospitals and make education compulsory for all children up to the Matric level.
He said once agriculture sector was considered backbone of the national economy and the country was self-sufficient in almost all major crops, but now there were the challenges of food security and Pakistan was importing various products.
He said there were a number of research institutes to improve the agriculture sector, but it was unfortunate that not even a single new seed had been introduced since long.
Waheed Alam Khan of the PML-N said his leadership was taking tough decisions to revive the national economy that was badly ruined by the past regime of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf (PTI).
He criticized the previous regime of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for adopting wrong economic policies and signing unrealistic agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which were major reasons behind the prevailing situation of inflation in the country.
The MNA said it was unfortunate the PTI leadership, despite being ousted in a democratic and constitutional way, was still wanted to create chaos in the country by threatening long march against the democratic government.
He said the PTI leaders were trying to hoodwink the public using the name of Islam and patriotism for personal gains.
Commenting on budgetary proposals, he said there was no mention of minimum wage of Rs25,000 per month of a labourer, and suggested providing interest-free loans to those wanted to install solar panels besides gradually switching over to alternative fuel to meet energy needs.
He said the size of cultivable land was decreasing in the country due to certain reasons and ensuring maximum incentives to the farming community aimed at tackling confronted food security challenges.
He strongly condemned the blasphemous remarks uttered by leaders of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanding strict action against them for hurting sentiments of the Muslim Ummah.
Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMAP) urged for early arrest of the elements involved in carrying out terrorism activities and killers of four social activists in North Waziristan.
Saira Bano of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) said the House was discussing the next fiscal plan and there should be maximum presence of lawmakers and their active participation in the parliamentary proceedings.
