Asad Umar lambasts opposition for criticising govt over national security

Islamabad: Planning Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar lambasted the opposition for criticising the government over national security.

Speaking to the floor of National Assembly (NA), Asad Umar responded to Khawaja Asif and blasted the opposition for talking about the national security after taking up residence in the Gulf countries on work permits which declared them, what he said, “dhobi and nai” (washermen and barbers).

Reacting to Asif's remarks about surrendering the sovereignty of Pakistan, he said: "A Pakistani leader is speaking about surrendering the country's sovereignty. I call that shameful."

"They invited [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi to their house," he said, making an apparent reference to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Umar said that international bodies have praised Pakistan’s performance to contain Covid-19.

“The opposition had been trying to scare the nation by making a hue and cry over the SBP amendment bill.

"The difference between them and us is that when they work to curb dengue, they have to advertise about it themselves. But when we work to curb Covid-19," international forums praise the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government, Umar added.

Talking about the “expired” ordinances, he said that only the speaker could tell if the ordinances had expired or not, but “I want to ask if we must hear the speeches from these expired politicians.”

On the other hand, former defence minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N senior leader Khawaja Asif has asked the incumbent government for mercy on the people of Pakistan on Thursday. 

He said while speaking to floor of the NA when Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin presented the mini-budget Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 in NA session. 

"You're giving SBP's control to IMF. Please have mercy on the people of Pakistan. Don't sell Pakistan. You allowed people to loot the country for three years," the PML-N leader said.

Khawaja Asif said the government had violated the Constitution by presenting an ordinance that had already lapsed and expired.

"You're giving SBP's control to IMF. Please have mercy on the people of Pakistan. Don't sell Pakistan. You allowed people to loot the country for three years," he said.

He urged the House to not let Pakistan surrender its sovereignty. "Surrendering Pakistan's economic sovereignty is more dangerous than that of the surrender in 1971," he said while referring to the East Pakistan debacle.

He said the whole nation was ashamed of what was happening in the parliament.

Earlier, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin presented the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 — or the mini-budget as the opposition calls it — in the National Assembly amid uproar from the opposition benches.