Effort has been made in budget to provide relief to masses regardless of the difficult economic situation: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD, June 14 (SABAH): The National Assembly is continuing discussion on the budget for the year 2023-24.

Participating in the debate, Federal Minister Mian Javed Latif said the budget has been presented in a difficult economic situation. He said the country can move forward on the path of economic development by upholding the law and the constitution.  He said the May 9 violent acts, never witnessed before, shook the entire country. He said the perpetrators and planners of these acts should be brought to justice.

Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) leader Sardar Ghous Bux Khan Mahar said the government should work for the welfare of the people. He said the focus must be given to the uplift of the agriculture sector through provision of incentives to the farmers including on solarization of tube-wells. He said work should be accelerated on the CPEC.

Minister for National Food Security Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema said the government is giving consideration to the promotion of agro based economy. He said there has been a bumper wheat crop this year. We are also a rice exporting country. He said this is the first budget in which allocations have been made for the solarization of tube-wells.

Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said development funds should also be given for the welfare of minorities and renovation and rehabilitation of their worship places.

Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman has said all the relevant authorities are working in close coordination to cope with any eventuality arising out of Cyclone Biparjoy.

Apprising the National Assembly about the latest situation with regards to the Cyclone, she said a high powered committee has been constituted to ensure complete preparedness.

She said the cyclone will make landfall tomorrow and the coastal areas of Sindh especially Badin, Thatta, Malir and Sujawal will bear the brunt of it.  She said safeguarding the lives of the people is our priority. She said the people should take precaution and fully cooperate with the authorities which have been engaged in the coastal areas for their protection.

Sherry Rehman said seventy five relief camps have been established where sixty two thousand people have been evacuated. She said the evacuated people will be provided with clean drinking water, ration and medical supplies. Billboards are being removed from big cities for the safety of the people.

Participating in the budget discussion, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said effort has been made in the budget to provide relief to the masses regardless of the difficult economic situation. He pointed out that our interest on payments is more than the federal receipts.

Referring to the bleeding in the public sector organizations and tax evasion in different sectors, the Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stressed that we have to fix these problems and bring fundamental reforms. He said Pakistan is blessed with resources and these need to be explored to enhance our national wealth.

Turning to the political situation, the Khawaja Asif said a political party in the country is not waging political fight, but trying to take the state hostage.

He strongly denounced the attacks on military installations and the memorials of martyrs on May 9, saying these were never witnessed before.