Amid opposition mayhem finance minister tables Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 in Senate

Islamabad: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin tabled the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 or the mini-budget in the Senate on Tuesday amid strong protest from the opposition members.

The bill was earlier presented in the National Assembly last week.

President Dr Arif Alvi had summoned today's Senate session to lay the bill before the Upper House for its recommendations, if any, on the proposed law.

The bill seeks to amend certain laws on taxes and duties to meet the International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) conditions for the clearance of Pakistan's sixth review of the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) by the financial institution, paving way for the disbursement of a tranche of around $1 billion.

Addressing the session after the bill was tabled, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said the nation wanted to know "what pressure is the IMF exerting on Pakistan".

"I demand that the government take us into confidence on this pressure. Inform the nation and parliament about this pressure from the US and IMF," he said.

Rabbani said the finance supplementary bill was presented on the IMF's instructions and would lead to a further increase in the prices of gas and electricity.

Referring to the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2021 — another legislation needed to meet the IMF's conditions — which was also tabled in the National Assembly (NA) last week, Rabbani said the central bank was being sold off.

"Take this parliament and the nation into confidence," he urged the government. "This nation will stand like a solid wall before the US and IMF," he said.