Opposition Leader Raja Riaz asks govt to pay special attention to the uplift of agriculture & industrial sectors to steer country out of economic crisis

ISLAMABAD, June 12 (SABAH): The National Assembly has commenced general discussion on the budget 2023-24.

Opening the debate, Leader of Opposition Raja Riaz Ahmed Khan asked the government to pay special attention to the uplift of agriculture and industrial sectors to steer the country out of economic crisis and enhance foreign exchange reserves.

Raja Riaz Ahmed Khan said agriculture is backbone of our economy but regretted that the budget does not envisage the measures that the sector deserved. He stressed promoting agri research to enhance per acre yield. By achieving self-reliance in food items, we can save valuable foreign exchange reserves. He emphasized for accelerating work on construction of dams.

The Opposition Leader said the increase in electricity and gas tariffs has badly affected our industries. He said the government should extend maximum facilitation to the industries to revive the economy. He suggested the government enhance concessions for renewable energy in order to produce cheap electricity.

Alluding to the problems faced by the masses due to inflation, he said the price control committee needs to be revived across the country. He said the government must ensure that essential commodities are available to the people at reasonable rates.

He appreciated the government for enhancing the salaries of government employees by thirty to thirty five percent.  He recommended that the pensions also be enhanced by thirty percent.

Raja Riaz Ahmed Khan said that ample funds should be allocated to bringing improvement in the education and health sectors.

The opposition leader pointed out that Pakistan is blessed with natural resources worth billions of dollars and there is a need to fully explore them.

Participating in the discussion, Salahuddin said the government has presented a balanced budget in view of the current economic situation. He especially commended the raise given to the employees in the budget.  He, however, was pessimistic that the targets set in the budget are not achievable.

Meanwhile the National Assembly on Monday passed a resolution demanding that action against the perpetrators and instigators of May 9 violent acts should be completed without any delay under law and the constitution.

The resolution moved by Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif noted that one political party and its Chairman on May 9 whilst breaching the law and constitution crossed all the boundaries and attacked the military installations. These incidents caused an irreparable loss to the state and state institutions. It noted that the agenda of this party is based on enmity against Pakistan.

The resolution strongly rejected the impression that human rights violations are being committed whilst dealing with the miscreant elements or the culprits of May 9. It said that certain elements are resorting to baseless propaganda on the matter.

The resolution said that those involved in the violent acts on military installations must be tried and sentenced under Army Act 1952 without any delay, saying that in other countries also where military installations are attacked, the authority of trying such persons rests with the forces.

Speaking on the occasion, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif clarified that the government has not enacted any new legislation vis-à-vis the May 9 violent acts.  He said our armed forces are waging a war for the defense of the country and their personnel continue to render their lives for the security of the country.  He said the attacks on the military installations were planned one and amount to disregarding the blood of martyrs which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.  He said the PTI is attacking the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan.

Earlier, at the outset, the House offered for those who died in recent heavy rains and windstorm as well as in the acts of terrorism and traffic accidents in the country. The house will now meet today (Tuesday) at 11:00 AM.