Mini-budget: Punjab, KP CMs host dinner for lawmakers in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The chief ministers of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have hosted separate dinners for lawmakers ahead of the National Assembly (NA) session to hold debate on Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 known as mini-budget, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The government lawmakers have gathered in Islamabad ahead of the NA session after the tabling of the mini-budget.

Punjab CM Usman Buzdar and KP CM Mahmood Khan have also arrived in the federal capital and hosted separate dinners for the lawmakers of their respective provinces.

The dinner was attended by the federal ministers including Asad Qaiser, Shehryar Afridi, Ali Muhammad Khan, Omar Ayub Khan. The government lawmakers have finalised the strategy to tackle the opposition’s protest during the NA session.

READ: SHEHBAZ, BILAWAL DISCUSS MINI-BUDGET, ANTI-GOVT PROTESTS

The central leadership of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has directed all lawmakers to reach the Parliament House at 2:00 pm tomorrow.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will also arrive in the Parliament House to chair the PTI’s parliamentary party session at 2:00 pm tomorrow before the approval of Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021.

The PTI parliamentary party members will mull over strategy to tackle the expected protests of the opposition parties.

According to sources privy to the matter said that the chief whip in the assembly and parliamentary affairs minister has been tasked to ensure the presence of the lawmakers, who would then be taken into confidence over the finance amendment bill by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

READ: PPP FINALISES STRATEGY TO BLOCK MINI-BUDGET

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), PTI’s ally in the centre has announced to oppose the mini-budget if suggestions submitted by it are ignored in the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021.

As per details, the MQM-Pakistan has submitted 11-point suggestions for the Finance Amendment Bill in the National Assembly secretariat and forwarded the same to Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin.

“MQM-P’s decision will be different if suggestions are ignored,” sources within the party said and in this context, guidelines have been given to the assembly members and the senators by party convener, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.