Bilawal declines to address NA budget session

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has refused to deliver a speech on the budget in National Assembly (NA).

The decision was confirmed by Federal Minster for Commerce and PPP’s Parliamentary group leader, Syed Naveed Qamar, who stated that Bilawal would not be speaking on the budget in the NA.

Bilawal abstained from participating in high-level negotiations with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), regarding budget and allocation of funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Sindh.

The negotiations, chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, aimed to resolve budgetary disputes, including allocations for flood victims in Sindh.

The first round concluded on Monday evening.

This development is seen as a setback in light of the emerging differences between the PPP and the ruling PML-N.

While PPP members have criticized certain aspects of the national budget during their speeches in the NA, they have not yet planned to propose any cut motions in the budgetary allocations.

The general discussion on the budget, initially scheduled to conclude on Saturday, June 17, was extended for two days in anticipation of Bilawal's address.

The adoption of the finance bill and supplementary budget has also been postponed by a day, with the budget now set to be passed on Saturday, June 24.