ISLAMABAD: The ruling party in National Assembly has passed Rs4.3 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2015-16 amid opposition’s walkout in protest against continuous loadshedding in the country.
The National Assembly also okayed supplementary demands of grants worth Rs205 billion. The opposition also announced to mark Friday as a “mourning day” over the deaths of people by heatwave in Karachi.
The opposition also offered twice funeral in absentia outside the Parliament House for those who lost their lives due to heatwave and loadshedding. For the first time, all opposition parties attended Nimaz-e-Jinazah which was led by parliamentary leader of Jammat-e-Islami (JI) Sahibzada Tariqullah. Second time, JI’s Sher Akbar led the Nimaz-e-Jinazah attended by NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and others.
Speaking in the NA, Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah regretted that the government, taking benefit of opposition’s walkout, passed the Demands for Grants and Appropriations for the next financial year in haste, ignoring cut motions of the government.
He said that the opposition was ready to come to the House after staging a token walkout but the government did not take it seriously. He said the opposition has prepared 1550 cut motions but could not move them because they were protesting on a national issue of power crisis.
PTI’s Deputy Parliamentary Leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said they will submit requisition to summon NA session to discuss increasing load-shedding in hot weather.
Parliamentary leader of the MQM Rashid Godil said they would observe day of mourning on Friday. Sahibzada Tariqullah, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Ghulam Ahmad Bilour also spoke on the issue.
Responding to opposition’s concerns, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar stressed the need for resolving the issue of loadshedding.The minister suggested that let the budget process be complete. “We will continue this session and talk on the issue of power crisis and find a solution,” he added.
