Protests in NA and on roads if govt passes 'mini-budget', SBP bill: Shehbaz

Islamabad: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday warned that the opposition would protest in the house and on the roads if the government tried to pass the   Finance (Supplimentary) Bill (also dubbed as mini-budget) and the State Bank of Pakistan Amendment Bill 2021. 

"They (government) are selling out Pakistan's economy and freedom for $1 billion," he said while speaking on the floor of the House.

The PML-N leader said the PTI government only made progress in making U-turns, adding taxes worth Rs350 billion were being imposed on the people who were already facing inflation and unemployment.

Criticising the government, he said the ruling PTI had drowned the country's economy and was also endangering its security.

He called on the government to withdraw the controversial finance bill. "We have our political differences but bring another bill and we will support that."

The PML-N leader also opposed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021, which promises complete autonomy for the central bank and is one of the requirements Pakistan has to meet under the programme agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July 2019.

If passed, the legislation will pave the way for the disbursement of a $1bn tranche.

Shehbaz underlined that Pakistan is currently one of the most expensive countries of the world.

Highlighting the “unnecessary taxes” in the supplementary finance bill, he said countries are reducing taxes while the PTI government is imposing additional taxes.

The PML-N supremo regretted that general sales tax is being imposed on children's milk even.

Shehbaz said: “I said earlier that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Today they (the government) have proved me right. Rome is burning and Nero is playing the fiddle.”

The opposition cooperated with the PTI government for removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list. However, “we were called thieves,” the Opposition leader said.

Not former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif or Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while standingd on the container had said that "if the power tariff is increased, then the prime minister of that time is a thief".

“Current Prime Minister Imran Khan was one one who said that,” Shehbaz said.