SHC questions maintainability of petition seeking debate on next budget

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday questioned the maintainability of a petition filed by Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi seeking a session of the provincial legislature to discuss the next budget.

A high court bench was hearing the petition of the PTI leader who nominated the Sindh government through Ministers for Finance and Law and Parliamentary Affairs as respondent in his petition.

It is up to the assembly’s speaker to summon a session, the bench observed, suggesting the opposition leader should raise the issue in the assembly.

Adjourning the hearing of the case for an indefinite period, the court directed the petitioner’s lawyer to forward his arguments on the maintainability of the petition on the next hearing.

The petitioner had earlier contended in his petition that under the Sindh Assembly’s rules of procedure, a session of the provincial assembly is to be held between the months of January and March seeking proposals from the provincial lawmakers for the next budget each year.

Nevertheless, the opposition leader complained, no assembly session has been summoned yet to discuss the next budget 2019-20. He added the session is aimed at giving the members an opportunity to put forward their suggestions for the upcoming budget.

He, therefore, pleaded to the court to direct the government to summon a session of the provincial assembly for the purpose.