Sherry Rehman opposes money bill ahead of budget

ISLAMABAD: Senate Opposition Leader Sherry Rehman on Thursday slammed the government over the proposed Money Bill just weeks before the next budget.

“There is no precedence for an ordinance to pass in a money bill. That too, two weeks before the budget!” Rehman said on the floor of the House.

Rehman added, “The government moved ordinances without taking the Parliament into confidence. This is an unconstitutional, ill-advised and shortsighted move. We will not allow the government to make a mockery of the Constitution of Pakistan.”

“The government has some serious questions to answer. Is there really a need for an emergency ordinance? If so, why? We are constantly assured by the government that our economy is doing well. Does this mean that we are heading towards an economic disaster? The timing of this makes absolutely no sense,” the Senate Opposition Leader further added.

The PPP vice-president also decried that the government used ordinances to pass laws bypassing parliament, which was a disrespect to the Constitution.

“It has been this government’s habit not to take the parliament into consideration on any major issue be it on economy of foreign policy. It might be too late now but it would have benefited them if they took some time to understand how a democracy works,” she concluded.