ISLAMABAD   -   Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday appreciated government’s efforts for bringing down the inflation as well as increasing the volume of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) by 27 percent in the budget.

The National Assembly is continuing discussion on the budget for the next fiscal year. Participating in the discussion, Bilawal emphasised on consensus and Charter of Economy to address the economic problems of the country. He said this warranted deliberations amongst all the political parties including those sitting on the treasury and opposition benches.

He said the allied and opposition parties should also be taken on board on the budget and the PSDP. He said the BISP was being replicated in the world. He said this programme should be provided constitutional cover so that nobody could reverse it. He said this was the only tool which provided relief to the people in difficult times including the floods. Bilawal said the time had come again for annual budget discussion, the purpose of which was to help the Pakistani people emerge from the economic quagmire. He said representatives of the House had recently been elected in February, and they were aware of the actual plight of the people. “The real problem is not our political narratives, statements, partisan politics or differences, nor it is the matter of who is in prison and who is not. The real issue is the basic, ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makaan’, as their only interest is the curbing of historic inflation, unemployment and poverty. The people look at the govt and the opposition with the hope that they will sit together and evolve consensus to prioritise the solutions to the crises faced,” he said.

Bilawal said PM Shehbaz in his previous tenure as both the PM and Opposition Leader talked about a ‘Charter of Economy’. “Without such a charter and consensus, we cannot address the long-term problems Pakistan is riddled with. The charter cannot be dictated by elsewhere or be an individual decision,” he said. The government would have to talk to benches on either of its sides. “We should not only send our people and the business community this message, but also to the international community that the country has devised a 10 or 20-year long economic plan to be followed by those in the govt, regardless of political affiliation,” he said. .

PPP Chairman said when it was first decided by the PPP to support this government and PM Sharif, an agreement was reached between the two parties. According to the agreement, the budget and related decisions including the PSDP should have been made with the consultation of the PPP. Unfortunately, this prerequisite was not fulfilled and the members of the PPP believed that they would have contributed positively to the process. Chairman Bilawal said that his advice to the PM and Finance Minister would have been to invite the allies as well as the opposition to collaborate. “In this manner, those in the opposition too would contribute instead of protesting alone. This would have been a political victory as well as an economic one,”he said.

“Inflation is the most pressing concern in the country, and the indicators reveal that 10kg of wheat flour five years ago would cost less than Rs. 400. Today, it costs more than Rs. 1400,”, he said adding that in the last five years, electricity prices for up to 50 units have gone up by at least 277 percent and petrol prices by 195 percent. Milk, edible oil and lentils have increased by 113 percent, 21 percent and 353 percent respectively. “ Five years ago, a joint household income of Rs. 35000 would allow families to meet their nutritional, educational and medical needs. Today, if a family has to fulfil the same needs, their joint income should increase to Rs. 70000,” he said. Chairman PPP said that while in the government, all were aware of the dangers lurking in the country and the achievements targeted under the ‘Bajwa Doctrine’. This was the basic reason which united us, and propelled us to defend the country, despite the political consequences, he said. Chairman Bilawal said that the govt has taken decisions regarding taxation.

He said that he made attempts to highlight the positive aspects here too, but it was a difficult task. The PPP’s political philosophy revolves around progressive taxation. Every government claims that it wishes to increase the tax base and would burden the rich, not the poor.

The house also held discussion on charged expenditures, included in demands for grants and appropriations, pertaining to various ministries and their attached departments, for the next fiscal year.   

Among others, ministries and attached departments include Pakistan Post Office, Law and Justice Division, Senate, National Assembly, Supreme Court, Foreign Missions and foreign loans repayment.