PTI-led coalition, opposition parties to lock horns over passage of budget 

ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led ruling coalition will meet on Tuesday (today) to set a strategy for passage of the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20 from the Parliament, ARY News reported.

The opposition, which has bluntly opposed the budget proposals of the government, also holding consultations over the All Parties Conference and a movement to confront the government.

Main opposition party in the National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, has also summoned its parliamentary party meeting this evening to discuss the political situation.

The PTI also engaging its disgruntled junior partners in the ruling alliance to ensure required numbers in the lower house of the parliament for passage of the finance bill.

A delegation of the government’s coalition partner, Balochistan National Party Mengal (BNP-M), yesterday called on PTI’s trouble-shooter Jahangir Tareen at his residence.

The delegation in a meeting with Tareen and other PTI leaders exchanged views on six-point demands of the party.

Sources said that the PTI leadership assured BNP-M delegation for implementation of its demands.

Earlier on June 17, a BNP leader Abdul Rauf Mengal had said that the party was holding talks with the government and opposition parties for its demands.

Talking to media BNP-M central committee member said that the federal government has assured the party for implementation of its six-point demands.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to address concerns of four junior coalition partners of the government.

Prime Minister opted to address the concerns of junior partners by meeting leaders of each of the allied parties rather than through a joint committee comprising lawmakers of the four coalition partners.

Prime Minister had separately met this month with leaders of MQM, PML-Q, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) and assured them support and addressed their concerns.

The development comes after the four junior coalition partners of the PTI sought to constitute a joint coordination committee to get their concerns addressed and issues to avoid any misunderstanding for the sake of smooth running of the ruling alliance.

Promises made with tribesmen to be fulfilled: Prime Minister Imran Khan said that promises made with people of merged districts of erstwhile districts will be fulfilled.

Prime Minister also held meetings with the MNAs and Senators from the former tribal and told them that a budget of 83 billion rupees has been earmarked for developmental projects in merged areas for the first time.

Apart of the major opposition parties, the PML-N and PPP, Jamaat-e-Islami chief, Sirajul Haq in a recent statement had announced that his party will oppose the passage of a federal budget in National Assembly.

“JI completely rejects the International Monetary Fund (IMF) proposed budget presented by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, he said while talking to media in Lahore.