Presentation of the budget for the new fiscal year turned into an ugly debate due to a number of reasons. The first point of contention between the parties was the presentation of the budget itself just as the tenure of the current government is ending. While the stance of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN), that they will function as per the legal requirements till the time that the government is actually dissolved, is the right legal standpoint; however, the opposition parties are right in claiming that this move will restrict the new functioning government because this will restrict their development budget.

The second point of contention is the appointment of unelected members of the PMLN as members of the government. The appointment of Miftah Ismael as the federal minister has caused an uproar amongst members of the parliament because the entire premise of the government institutions is bring in the representatives which people have themselves voted in. Again the accusation that these members are being rewarded for their media fights against the disqualification of PMLN members, cannot be ignored. This makes the move a classic representation of personal favours in the parliament and results in hindrances in the parliamentary process.

Lastly, the decorum in the parliament is of the utmost importance. Representatives chosen by the masses are held in great regard and are expected to be the epitome of good mannerisms and adaptation to the expectations from those who are in public office. What was witnessed during the presentation of the budget by Federal Minister Miftah Ismael was a show of extreme disregard and a proof that our parliamentarians still need a lesson in basic ethics. If parliamentarians cannot debate out their differences, and resort to physical violence to express their disagreements then it is not a surprise that the masses in the country have a mob mentality as well.

These are the last days of the government before an interim government is appointed. This should be a time of cooperation and smooth transition for the current regime. However it is evident that the decisions being taken by the current setup are isolating the other mainstream parties. At the same time, the other mainstream parties are also only busy in accusatory politics instead of getting together to resolve the imminent issues.