ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP): The National Assembly on Friday debated the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023 and criticized the former federal finance minister Shaukat Tareen and two provincial finance ministers for their attempt to derail the deal with International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar moved a motion to consider the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023 and the House formally opened the debate on it.
Taking part in debate, PPPP lawmaker Qadir Khan Mandokhail said that former finance Minister Shaukat Tareen attempted to derail agreement with IMF along with former Finance Ministers of Punjab Mohsin Leghari and Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra.
He said that a plan was made to sabotage the agreement and everything was revealed after surfacing of an audio-leak regarding talks among these three personalities.
He said that PPPP tried to get rid of the former government and Chairperson PPPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari led this movement and conducted a long march.
He said that incumbent coalition government had succeeded to remove the name of Pakistan from grey list of FATF while the various pending projects including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor was now underway. He said that our foreign minister was conducting the visits of various countries and trying for better image of Pakistan.
Mr. Mandokhail demanded to impose taxes on those having more than one bungalows in posh areas, luxury vehicles and property in urban belts of various cities.
MQM lawmaker Salahuddin also recalled the ‘audio’ of Shaukat Tareen and said that he attempted to convince the ex-finance ministers of two provinces not to own deal of federal government with IMF.
He said that former foreign ministers of the PTI government including Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Shaukat Tareen remained engaged with IMF but PTI did not fulfil commitments with it.
He said that prices of petroleum products were decreased at that time despite the commitment with IMF to enhance it. He also criticized the role of the President who denied to sign an ordinance related to mini-budget and posed himself as a supporter of a party.
He said that foreign loans had increased from 24 thousand billion dollars to 44 thousand billion dollars during the tenure of the incumbent Assembly. He said that this amount had not been spent on the public but the people were suffering due to this mega increase in foreign loans.
Mr. Salahuddin demanded that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to remain present in the House and answer the queries of lawmakers about the imposition of new taxes and the reasons behind it.
He said that national resources were used in past for political purposes and efforts should be made to use them in future for the uplift of poor segments. He appealed the Prime Minister to maximum help Turkey after the earthquake there because the brotherly country always stood with Pakistan in critical moments.
Saira Bano of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) Saira Bano criticized the government for overburdening the common man by imposing additional taxes in the finance supplementary bill.
She was of the view that the common man was already passing the difficult times due to the increased inflation and now it was impossible for them to make their monthly budget with meager financial resources.
She stressed the need for making collective efforts to control the inflation that was badly affecting routine life of poor segments of society even the middle class.
Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) said he was not agreeing with the views that the new tax measures would have no negative impact on the poor, adding the increased prices of petroleum products, electricity and gas had made life of the common man more miserable.
He said practical austerity measures were needed to stop the increased government expenditures instead of mere lip service.
The MNA claimed that some families in Pakistan had billions of dollars in their safe lockers that should be utilized by motivating them to keep their money in bank accounts instead at homes. It would help the country to become self-reliant financially, he added.
PPPP lawmaker Agha Rafiullah also criticized the PTI government and its ministers over their attempt to sabotage the agreement with IMF.
The recommendations of the Senate on the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023 were also tabled in the House. Later, the House was adjourned to meet again on February 20, 2023 (Friday) at 1700 hours.