The News international, Karachi, Monday, June 25,2026

NATIONAL 3


Opposition rejects
budget for ‘lacking’
economic realities

By our correspondent —    trapped na severe crisisand,  without state services,” he
emphasised underlining that
ISLAMABAD: Opposition
leaders on Sunday rejected erg and insisted that their with facilities if taxes were
the federal budget and claims of economic devel- being collected from then :
accused the goverment of opment were contrary to —_ He said the government
ignoring economic realities, reality, while the increase had failed to reduce its own
burdening masses withtaxes in loans posed a  major  expenses, while heavy taxes
and failing to address rising threat to the country’s continued to be imposed on
poverty, and feared depend. future, noting the federal people,
ence on loans will further government was trapped in
aggravate economic crisis. interest payments, whereas sion, former finance min-
Expressing their views running the system through ister and leader of 4 ‘of Awaam
at a seminar, organ
Awaam Pakistan party, they solution,                         said that the current Sheh- .
underlined that economic = Akram pointed out that baz Sharif-led government
problems will not be solved poverty was increasing had increased the annual
without introducing funda- instead of dectining, while debt by Rs8.5 thousand bil-
mental reforms and thateven Pakistan was far behind in lion in four years, whereas
long-term budget planning spending on social sector in the first 75 years this
cannot be effective without like health and education. increase was about Rs700
carrying out reforms,             He underlined that invest- billion annually.        —
They insisted that funda- ment in human development — He, however, added that
mental changes in the cure was necessary for compet- the government's claim of
rent financial system were ing globally,                           stability in the economy was
inevitable with a strong call Former prime minis- correct, but there had been
for reforms, being the need ter and Aweam Pakistan ‘no stability in poverty, unem-
of the hour fo overcome the party leader Shahid Khaqan ployment and investment.
economic crisis. The govern- Abbasi said the last four He also expressed concem
ment came under scathing years had been the worst that the price of flour may
criticism for its “inability” to for the country’s economy, increase in the coming days,
reduce its expenses despite cautioning that the govem- adding the current budget
financial constraints.               Ment expenditure was more did not offer any solution to
Leader of Opposition than development spending, the economic crisis.
in the Senate Allama Nasir while pension expenseshad | He noted that the rupee
Abbas questioned the gov- exceeded the cost of running had stabilised but the prob-
ernment logic that a person the government.       .         lems of the common man
carning merely Rs280 per _ “Interest and debt pay- had not reduced, and there
day was not below the pov- ments have started exceed- had been no improvement in
erty line and alleged that ing income, as the country’s exports, and wheat and cot-
they (rulers) were deceiving debt is increasing every ton production.
therascives, *               yearand the crisis s becom-   Ismail also said that
_ Nasir Abbas claimed the ing more scrious,” he said, cotton production had
rulers were not prepared adding: “Additional taxes decreased from 14 million
to see facts with their own have placed a further finan- bales to 6 million, whereas
eyes and that the govern- cial burden on the people, promises were broken
ment had failed to provide while the government is with wheat growers and
services to the people, add- taking new loans to meet its a3 a result the farmers had
ing the people were being expenses.”       -« + « to suffer losses. He said
crushed in the mill of pov-° Abbasi contended that expensive fertilisers
erty, as prices of food items that budget relief claims and agricultural costs had
were touching the sky. “  . appeared far from reality,
He then made 2 compar. as ordinary people were the
ison of Pakistan's finances bearing the burden of indi- . The former finance min-
to a household budget and rect taxes, He advocated ister contended that the
contended that when a fam- basic reforms in the system goverment was increasing
ily’s expenses exceeded its and added that investment taxes but the people were
income, then it comes under wouki not come without rule not getting real relicf, add-
the burden of debt and starts. of law, political stability and ing the tax collection tar-
selling its assets,                    policy continuity,                “get for next year had been
“Pakistan's income is The Tehreek Tahaffuz increased to more than 15
less than its expenses but Aiyeen-e-Pakistan’s Vice thousand billion. ~*~
no serious effort has been Chairman and ex-senator He regretted that in
made to reduce expenses Mustafa Nawaz Khokharsaid many areas of the country
and increase income/rev+ the rise in poverty was proof including Karachi, the peo-
enue,” he regretted while of the failure of economic ple were deprived of water
slamming the Incumbent policies and insisted that the and basic facilities, “They
regime's polickes, -              real measure of economic pay taxes but they do not
Pakistan Tehreek-e-In- growth was improvement get electricity, water and
saf's Secretary General Sal- in people's ves but life had security facilities.”
man Akram Raja, whose become difficult for low-in-.. Ismail said that the county
party also held a news con- come groups.         *- = had more electricity produc-
ference on the budget in‘ ‘Economic success is tionthan the demand but eke-
Islamabad in the afternoon, meaningkess if poverty is not tricity was expensive, adding
described the budget as an reduced; the budget could the government should sohe
economic emergency for not succeed without solving the current problems instead
Pakistan and warned the public problems. A tax sys of workingon more expensive
country’s economy was tem could not be effective power projects.


‘Anti-people’ budget

JI to announce future line of action,
in two days: Hafiz Naeem

by Muhammad Aals         not being met.
Furthermore, he stated government employees’ sala-
ISLAMABAD:. Jamaateldami  that electricity rates for the ries were only increased by a
(JI) Ameer while rejecting industrial sector must be fixed meager? percent.
the federal budget on Sun- af 9 cents per unit to ensure . Taking a swipe at the potit-
day, warmed that the JI would economic productivity, and ical status quo, he remarked
announce its future course of questioned the absolute lack that the same elite has ruled the
action in the next two days if of measures in the budget to country under an exphitative
immediate retef is not given to reduce the crushing burden of system for 7B years.
the people, .            Y «Capacity paymentstoIndepend- He mocked the ongoing
“It is an anti-peopte doo. ent Power Producers.            political friction between
ument prepared entirely on. In terms of state auster- the ruling coalition parties
the dictates of the IMF", Hafiz ity, the JI chief demanded an as shadow boxing meant to
Naeemur Rehman while irmediate ban on official vehi deoeive the pubic, adding that
addressing a press. conference  cles exceeding 1300ce across Bilawal Bhutto Zardari detiber-
_ allstate departments, stressing ately omits how his own party
ee party leadership, that Supreme Court judges, benefited from the contro-
including Central Naib Ameer military generals, and the rule versial Form 47 mandates In
Mian Muhammad Asism, Dep- ing political ite must take the Karachi Mhule criticising it i in
uly Secretary Syed Firasat lead in voluntarily reducing  Gilgt-Bakistan. -
Stah, JI Isumsbad Ameer Eng theirprivileges,          "He also reminded the gov-
neer Nasrullah Randhawaand |. The JI Ameer also called ernment of its constitutional
Secretary Information Shakil out the complete neglect of obligation to eliminate usury
Ahmed Turabi were also pres. the agricultural sector, note by December 31, 2026, as
ent on the oceasion. ©              ing that skyrocketing Prices  per the 26th Constitutional
Hafiz Nacemur Rehman of fertilizers, pesticides, and Amendment.‘
hightighted that national debt seeds have pushed farmers to... Expressing deep concern
has skyrocketed to RsS5 il- the brink of ruin. ~            over the volatile situation in
lion with an annual interest He said that institutional Azad Jammu and Kashmir,
payment liability  reaching  ‘corruption within the Pederal Hafiz Nacemur Rehman stated
RsS0) billion.            Board of Revenue accounts that the public unrest is a reac
He criticised the govern: for an annual kakage of RsL2_ tion to longignored grievances
ment for treating the budget to 1.3 trillion and instead of and the ongoing perception
a amere game ofshufiling fig plugging these loophotes, the of manufactured political out-
ures without understanding the government is overburdening comes across the country...
ground realities of the impover- honest taxpayers ”    “He emphasised that nei-
ished public.                                 Commenting on socalled ther violent protests nor the
He wamed that this cruel  ‘socal safety nets, he observed  Mate’s use of force is a viable
economic system requires that the Benazir Income Sup-. solution. Consequently, he
a massive public resistance port Programme is mounting offered Jamaat-eIslami's ser-
movement and stated that poverty rather than its eradica- vices. as an unbiased mediator
JI will actively mobilise the tion, pointing out that. Punjab  to bridge the gap between the
youth for this struggle. “If the has witnessed the sharpest rise’ Joint Action Committee and
government fails to provide inpoverty vel                     the goverment.
relief, the party intends to . The JI Chief regretted He announced that he
launch a countrywide move the mere