ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday took the government to task over its economic performance and claimed that the country’s economy was being pawned away for $1 billion.
He made the remarks on the floor of the National Assembly as the House began a debate on the controversial Finance (Supplementary) Bill, generally known as the mini-budget.
Assailing the government, the PML-N president said that the ruling PTI had drowned the country’s economy and was also endangering its security.
He called on the government to withdraw the controversial finance bill. “We have our political differences … but bring another bill and we will support that.”
The PML-N leader also opposed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021, which promises complete autonomy for the central bank and is one of the requirements Pakistan has to meet under the programme agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July 2019. If passed, the legislation will pave the way for the disbursement of a $1bn tranche.
Shehbaz warned that the opposition would protest in the house and “on the roads” if the government tried to bulldoze such a bill. “They are selling out Pakistan’s economy and freedom for $1bn.”
He said that a nation that was habitual of begging could never progress. “Handouts, aid and dole outs will never be able to strengthen a society and make it stand on its own two feet … for that you have to work hard.”
He said that the PTI used to claim that it couldn’t see any poverty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, their recent defeat in the local government elections must have opened their eyes, he said.
Shehbaz said that the country’s citizens don’t have money to pay their children’s school fees, but the ruling party was oblivious to the issues being faced by the middle-class.
“The day is not far where a horde of people, frustrated due to poverty, unemployment and inflation, will descend and sweep away the country’s most inefficient and corrupt government.”
He accused the government of ignoring the opposition’s input due to “ego”. “They consider themselves Einstein.”
