NA passes 'mini-budget' amid opposition protest

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has passed the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021— generally known as a “mini-budget” — amid strong protest by opposition parties, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The National Assembly also approved the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2021 during five hours-long session.

The lower house session resumed at the parliament house in Islamabad with Speaker Asad Qaisar in the chair.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also attended today’s all-important session.

Opposition amendments rejected

National Assembly rejected all the amendments moved by the opposition members with a majority vote. 150 members voted in favour of the amendments, while 168 voted against them.

On opposition protest, the NA speaker ordered the vote-count for two times and both times opposition parties faced defeat with 150-168 and 146-163 votes.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) – a key ally of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – withdrew its amendments on the assurance of the Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin.

Speaking in the house, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin rejected the hue and cry of the opposition parties on the finance supplementary bill.

Tarin said the government decided not to withdraw exemptions of taxes on basic items such as milk, bakery items, laptop, baby food and solar panels.

Also Read: MQM-P to oppose mini-budget if suggestions ignored

MQM-P voices concern over mini-budget

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), PTI’s ally in the centre earlier 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.

Khattak, Hammad Azhar exchange heated words

A heated exchange of words took place between Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Energy Minister Hammad Azhar over gas crisis during PTI’s parliamentary party meeting here on Thursday, sources informed ARY News.

According to sources, the PTI leader Khattak criticised Energy Minister Hammad Azhar over the shortage of gas in Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Hammad Azhar has no knowledge of gas and electricity crisis,” Khatak reportedly said in the parliamentary meeting held to discuss the strategy to pass the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021– also known as the mini-budget from National Assembly.

“We have to face tough questions of the public as they [peopel] voted us and we are answerable to them,” he said, adding that ministers like Tarin are not answerable to people as he is not a representative elected by people.

However, Khattak while talking with ARY News, has denied having a heated exchange of words, stating “that I only raised my voice for what is our right.”

When asked if he had walked out of the parliamentary session, he replied: “I am a smoker and left the session to smoke a cigarette”.

It is pertinent to mention here that the finance bill presented by Shaukat Tarin proposed amendments in income tax, sales tax and federal excise duty to impose Rs375 billion taxation measures and withdraws the Rs343 billion sales tax exemption.

Mobile phones valuing more than $200 imported in the CBU condition has been taxed at 17 per cent sales tax.