ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly expressed their gratitude to the government on Monday for its proposals for significant public assistance programs and the allocation of previously unheard-of development funds in the Federal Budget 2023–24.
In order to alleviate the feeling of deprivation felt by the people of Balochistan, development projects were sought during the budget debate in the Lower House of the Parliament, particularly the provision of the province’s lacking motorways. While vehemently denouncing the May 9 riots, Ms. Asiya Azeem of Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaf demanded that the perpetrators of the heinous act receive no leniency. She also expressed her profound sorrow over the boat accident that claimed the lives of numerous Pakistanis.
She said Pakistan had been borrowing massively for the last 75 years as the national economy remained dependent on foreign loans. “We cannot achieve economic stability till date,” she added.
She said inward foreign remittances also witnessed sharp decrease last year.
Asiya Azeem said a meager amount of Rs 5 billion was earmarked for women in the budget, who were 51 percent of the country’s population.
She suggested that a separate ministry for women should be set up and lauded the government for announcing tax exemption for businesswomen.
The PTI MNA also appreciated the government for enhancing salaries and pensions of the employees, however, urged for taking steps to control inflation which had surged to 38 percent.
Minister of State for Power Division Muhammad Hashmi Notezai, while expressing grief over the boat tragedy, said the people had to resort to illegal ways to reach the European countries for better job opportunities and due to increasing unemployment tendency in the country.
He said Balochistan was blessed with many natural resources, but the local people were not getting any benefits from them. Their livelihood largely depended on agriculture and border trade as there was no industry in the province, he added.
The minister urged the government to ease border trade, besides paying special attention to the creation of job opportunities in the province. The missing persons issue should be addressed on urgent basis, he added.
Notezai claimed that no major project was announced for Balochistan in the budget. Liquefied Natural Gas plants should be installed in areas where no gas facility was available, he added.
He said no fund was earmarked for village electrification, construction of dams and health facility for Balochistan.
He demanded that 100 per cent releases should be ensured for all ongoing and new projects for their completion at earliest. The victims of last year’s flash flood had not been compensated, and the government should take steps to redress their problems, he added.
APP
