Karachi:
Sindh’s prime minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, concluding the budget debate, described the opposition’s uproar during the Sindh Assembly session as misconduct. He said that the rules of the assembly were not followed during the budget session, the opposition behaved inappropriately and tried to interrupt his budget speech.
He said that the Pakistan peoples party (PPP) has a clear majority in the house and can approve the budget, but still want to take everyone.
The CM said that the government of Sindh is providing services to the public in each sector. He said that this time 135 members spoke out of the budget and more than 42 hours were assigned for the debate, which reflects the democratic process.
When comparing the development budgets of other provinces, Murad said, Sindh’s development budget is 30 percent of the total, which is more than Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan.
He revealed that at the beginning of the year, the federal government had promised to give Sindh RS1.9 billion, but after the budget, this amount was reduced to RS1,796 billion, what he called unfair. He mentioned that Sindh raised taxes at a higher rate than the federal government.
Speaking about agriculture, the CM raised objections to federal policies with respect to agricultural taxes, saying that bad decisions led to the need to import wheat. He said Sindh has established a objective of RS8 billion of the Agricultural Income Tax for the next fiscal year.
He listed several initiatives related to education, health, support for disability, autism centers and youth development centers. He also mentioned projects such as Sich Child Emergency Network, a new IUT in Larkana, new ambulances and a fishing support program.
Murad announced an increase of 10 to 12 percent in the salaries of government employees and an eight percent increase in pensions. He also declared the abolition of professional and entertainment taxes and tax relief in vehicles.
Refuting the media reports that Karachi is being ignored, Mega Projects worth RS12 billion for the city highlighted.
In conclusion, the CM said that if God and his party wanted, he was ready to remain the prime minister for 18 years.
The opposition leader, Ali Khurshidi, during his budget speech, strongly criticized the 17 -year rule of the PPP. He said that the increase in party seats was not due to performance, but to other factors, since public problems have worsened instead of solving. He asked for the cancellation of failed and delayed projects, saying that the old schemes are a load for the ADP.
Khurshidi pointed out the lack of basic facilities in Karachi and poor solid waste management. He said that Karachi generates income, but the city is not given due participation. He also criticized the Federal Government, stating that the legitimate participation of Sindh is being retained.
In addition, he hit the government for the water crisis, scarce subsidies for police personnel and issues related to K-Electric. Khurshidi said that the mayor of Karachi has full support for leadership, but the problems are still unresolved.
The session was postponed until 11 in the morning on Tuesday.
