Punjab Assembly on Thursday has passed the provincial budget of remaining eight months of fiscal year 2018-19 today.
The Punjab Assembly adopted 43 motions aimed at slashing the annual provincial budget for fiscal 2018-19 with majority consensus.
Since the PML-N did not attend the budgetary sessions in protest against the suspension of its six MPAs, no resolutions for budget cuts from their side could be tabled.
As a result, the budget and the finance bill, which could have otherwise taken days to get approved, were approved within minutes.“This is the first budget of Punjab’s history that has been accepted by all,” Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said in his speech. “This is an honour for me and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.
“We will not do any illegal work nor stop any legal work. We will work in all districts with the consultation of the members of this assembly,” he promised.
The chief minister also said that “a pre-budget discussion will be held before the next budget” and that “the next budget will be devised after consulting the MPAs.”
Punjab’s annual budget, finance bill and developmental schemes for fiscal year 2018-19 were first approved with majority consensus on October 16.War of Words between Ilahi and Hamza
The war of words between Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi and leader of the opposition in the provincial assembly Hamza Shehbaz continued on Thursday.
Speaking to the media outside the Punjab Assembly, Elahi said, “Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members created chaos during the first session of the provincial assembly, resorted to hooliganism when the provincial chief minister was elected and now for a fourth time have caused disruption.”
Claiming that Hamza Shehbaz attempted to strangle some lawmakers, Elahi said, “He is like a child.”
“If a child is stubborn, those standing next to him should explain to him what is right,” he added.
“Opposition should learn manners on how to talk,” Elahi further said and added that an investigative report regarding vandalism of provincial assembly property will be presented before the Parliament.
Further, the Punjab Assembly speaker said they are getting investigations conducted into projects initiated by the previous government.Hamza Shehbaz’s presser
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz hit back at Elahi.
“The speaker issued a rolling call on a fake picture and six of our MPAs were suspended. Why is the speaker trying to be overly loyal to the government? The speaker always forms a committee to conduct inquiry and then issues rolling,” he said.
