Rana Sanaullah admits PPP’s concerns over budgets are ‘valid’

ISLAMABAD: Rana Sanaullah, Adviser to Prime Minister on Political Affairs, has acknowledged that the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) objections to the Budget 2024-25 are justified.

Addressing a press conference, the PML-N Punjab president said admitted that there was a lack of consultation with the PPP on the budget but the party’s concerns would be addressed before the budget is passed.

“Their [PPP] concerns are valid, but it wasn’t like they weren’t consulted at all. Yes, there was some lack from our side. However, the budget isn’t finalised yet, we’re still taking proposals,” he added.

Rana Sanaullah noted that the government eyes to get the passed the Budget 2024-25 before the end of June.

Finance Minister Aurangzeb presented the Rs18.877 trillion relief-oriented federal budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.

The budget session started with a nearly two-hour delay after the PPP voiced reservations on the development allocations.

The Bilawal Bhutto-led party earlier decided not to attend the Pakistan Budget 2024 session in National Assembly, but the PML-N managed to placate them.

Later, the PPP lawmakers attended the session to complete the required quorum without party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He said that the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were harsher 16 months ago, but were relaxed due to the help of friendly countries.

He assured that the government would reduce its expenses as promised and that the prime minister would address the nation again after a month.

Sanaullah further that the government was making strenuous efforts to steer Pakistan out of economic quagmire, as the conspiracy hatched against an elected government in 2017-18 inflicted colossal loss on the country. He said it would take some time to revive the economy and stabilise it on sustained basis.

He said the conspiracies hatched during 2017-18 made life of ordinary people very miserable as the national economy plunged into a quagmire. However, the coalition government tried its optimum best to overcome these crises and put the country on road to progress and prosperity, he added.

He said that the government, under dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, succeeded in signing a deal with the IMF to steer the country out of multifaceted crises. It was a big achievement of the government to convince the IMF to soften its conditionalities so that maximum benefits could be passed on to masses, he added.

Responding to a question, he said that Fazlur Rehman meeting with the PTI was a normal political practice. This was the third parliament which would complete its constitutional tenure, he added.

The PM’s advisor also acknowledged the importance of restoring the local government system, saying that democracy is incomplete without it, and that work would be done on this in the coming days.