President and Vice President surprise Treasury by supporting opposition in budget debate

LAHORE – The budget debate in the Punjab Assembly on Saturday produced an unusual political spectacle as Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Deputy Speaker Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar openly supported the opposition’s arguments, reinforcing the impression that the two guardians of the House have increasingly adopted a more neutral approach in conducting the proceedings of the Assembly. While both presidents had valid reasons to prevent opposition lawmakers from giving political speeches during a budget debate, they instead ruled that members could discuss political grievances and broader matters of public interest alongside budget matters. Their decisions surprised many Treasury lawmakers, who saw the president and vice president repeatedly give more weight to the opposition’s point of view during heated debates. The second day of the budget debate in the Punjab Assembly on Saturday was marked by heated exchanges between Treasury and opposition lawmakers, repeated interruptions, chanted slogans and heated political tussles, with the opposition objecting to the absence of Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman and later defending its right to raise political issues in the budget session. The controversy began when Opposition Leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi, Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan and other opposition members protested the absence of Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, arguing that the minister responsible for presenting the budget should be present to hear criticism and recommendations from lawmakers. When PML-N chief whip Rana Arshad responded that he was taking notes on behalf of the finance minister and that the finance secretary was present in the officials’ gallery, opposition members scoffed at the explanation. Vice President Channar sided with the opposition and ruled that the Finance Minister should attend the debate. Following his remarks, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman arrived in the House. Another dispute emerged after opposition lawmakers used their speeches to raise political issues, including references to PTI founder Imran Khan, the May 9 affairs, the November 26 crackdown, tax measures and governance issues. The finance minister opposed this, insisting that budget discussions should remain limited to tax issues. Opposition MPs argued that elected officials could not be prevented from discussing political issues in the House. Vice President Channar accepted the argument and allowed members to continue. Later, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan also supported the opposition’s position, observing that the Assembly was inherently a political institution and political grievances could not be ruled out just because the House was debating the budget. The decisions sparked noisy exchanges between the Treasury and opposition benches. The finance minister warned that the government could react politically if the opposition continued to raise political issues and even hinted at a walkout. He also noted that if opposition lawmakers displayed photos of Imran Khan in the House, treasury members could also bring portraits of Nawaz Sharif. Despite the political wrangling, lawmakers also discussed budget concerns. Opposition members from South Punjab complained that the region had been neglected in development allocations and reiterated their demands for a South Punjab province and other development commitments.

Opposition MPs Makhdoom Shahabuddin and retired Colonel Shoaib criticized the budget for allegedly neglecting the region and demanded greater development allocations and progress on commitments including the modernization of Layyah University and the creation of a southern Punjab province.

PPP leader Ali Haider Gilani also expressed reservations about his party’s treatment in the coalition, lamenting that the PPP’s legitimate demands had not been adequately addressed despite its support for the government.

He also noted that the PPP would create the South Punjab province when it came to power. The speaker told him that new provinces should also be created in Sindh. Gilani replied that the Punjab Assembly had passed a resolution to create a South Punjab province, but there was no such demand from the Sindh Assembly so far. He observed that if the Sindh Assembly also passed a resolution for a new province, his party would also support this demand.

The most unusual moment of the day came when Treasury member Arshad Malik held up a Rs 5,000 note in the Assembly precincts and suggested that a portrait of Nawaz Sharif should accompany that of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, arguing that the former prime minister’s contributions to the country’s nuclear development and infrastructure deserved national recognition.

Speaking during the debate, opposition member Sheikh Imtiaz criticized the government’s economic priorities, alleging that taxes had been imposed on baby milk while aid was given to the elite. He also called the seven percent increase in civil servants’ salaries insufficient and questioned the fact that development projects are named after members of the Sharif family.

Treasury members vigorously defended the budget. Malik Nosherwan accused the opposition of focusing more on political controversies than economic issues and described Punjab as a debt-free province. Chaudhry Sher Ali rejected criticism over projects named after Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and advocated additional support for farmers, irrigation projects and water reservoirs.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos