ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Opposition Parties on Friday staged a walk out from the National Assembly Session to register their protest against the federal budget 2018-19 being presented by the newly-elected Federal Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail.
On points of order in the Lower House, both the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Syed Khursheed Ahmed and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi criticized the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led federal government for forwarding a non-elected person to present the budget.
The opposition leaders said the State Minister for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal should have presented the budget as he was an elected person of the House.
Khursheed Shah also said PML-N government was going to complete its tenure and presenting federal budget for the whole year should have been left for the next government.
However, Prime Minister Shahid Khan Abbasi while responding to points raised by the Opposition said the PML-N government considered its responsibility to present the budget for next fiscal year to run the affairs of the government. He said the next government had the complete authority and right to make changes in the budget.
The prime minister said Miftah Ismail would present the budget and it was the decision of the Federal Cabinet and there was nothing unlawful in it.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said right of presenting the budget belonged to that person who prepared and made budget with hard work and dedication.
Later, the opposition walked out of the Lower House of the Parliament.
