LAHORE   -   Unlike its lackluster show on Wednesday last, the Opposition made its presence felt in the house on Thursday during general discussion on the supplementary budget.

Following passage of the annual budget the other day, the PTI government is now seeking assembly’s approval for Rs90.6 billion spent in excess of the allocated budget under different heads of expenditure.

Armed with facts and figures, Mohammmad Ahmad Khan of the PML-N made a very impressive speech questioning the extra amounts spent on the Chief Minister’s House, Governor House and the Office of the Advocate General Punjab. The hollow claims of austerity of the present government stood exposed as he pointed out that Chief Minister’s office spent Rs160 million in excess of the allocated amount. The additional amount in respect of Governor House was Rs80 million while the office of advocate general spent Rs560 million more than its actual budget. Ahmad alleged that office of advocate general might have expended the excess amount on paying fees to the advocates for preparing fake cases against political opponents.   

While the provincial ministers kept responding to other allegations by the opposition members, no one from the treasury side stood to defend extra expenditures incurred on the two highest offices in the province. There was also no official word for huge sum consumed by the advocate general Punjab.  

Punjab Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal just contented to saying that previous government would spend the entire supplementary budget on by-elections. He also accused the government of promoting and protecting mafias in every sector.

Tahir Sindhu of the PML-N contended that government had spent Rs90 billion extra on the non-development side ignoring welfare of the people. He also showed concern over meager allocations made for minorities in the new budget.

Strangely enough, majority of the legislators from both sides of the aisle spoke on the annual budget instead of the supplementary one. Both the speaker and the deputy speaker did not ask any of them to speak on the relevant subject. Law Minister Raja Basharat also kept mum for understandable reasons, though. After all, who will be the beneficiary in a situation when most of the members are not talking about the supplementary budget?

If a government presents supplementary budget in the assembly for approval, it simply means that it had little or no control over its expenditures in the preceding year. It also raises questions over the austerity measures every government claims to have taken to control its expenditures.

Also, it was evident from Thursday’s assembly proceedings that PTI government sustaining on a thin majority could not enforce strict discipline on a strong Opposition. And, if an attempt is made to bring it under strict controls, the result would be a complete bedlam.

Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Mazari Thursday did not allow PML-N stalwart Sheikh Alauddin to respond to the allegations leveled by Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal.

Law Minister also told the chair that no member should be allowed to respond to a minister during the budget discussion. They could speak on their turn only. Following the minister’s remarks, there was complete disorder in the house for over 10 minutes. No member could make a speech on the supplementary budget during this time. As the deputy speaker failed to restore order in the house, Mohammad Ahmad Khan of the PML-N saved the situation from getting bad to worse with his sensible handling of the whole affair. Sheikh Alauddin was later allowed to speak.