PML-N MPA Sardar Awais Leghari on Wednesday introduced Punjab budget for fiscal year 2022-23 in budget session chaired by Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari and held in Ivan-i-Iqbal in Lahore and the other session chaired by Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi took place concurrently in the provincial legislature.
Parallel meetings were held after government and opposition failed to resolve their differences. It was probably first time when individual sessions of held the Punjab Assembly. in tandem.
budget was introduced two days after the Punjab Assembly session was convened for goal, thanks to the provincial government deadlock with speaker. budgetx total expenditure amounted to 3,226 billion rupees.
government singled out a fair amount of Rs 685 billion under Annual Development Program (ADP) with a special focus on pro-poor initiatives and inflation control. Not new tax was introduced in in budget.
AT terms of development sectors, highest distribution of 272.6 billion rupees was for in social sector which includes Rs 172.55 billion for health sector and 64.56 billion rupees. for education sector. In addition, 164 billion rupees has been allocated for infrastructure. development including 80.8 billion rupees for road sector.
budget session under the presidency of Elahi resumed at 14:40, over 1.5 hours later than planned and started with prayers for deceased MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain, former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director Mohammad Rizwan who explored money laundering accusations against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and died of heart attack last month and Malik Maqsood Ahmad, who is often referred to as Maqsood’Chaprasi‘ – central figure in in money laundering case, who died in UAE earlier this month.
Later, PTI Central Punjab President Dr. Yasmin Rashid filed a petition for the privilege. against provincial minister Attaulla Tarar for making an “obscene gesture” and violating the privilege of Assembly.
Momina Waheed of PTI said that Tarar’s gesture “violated women’s dignity”.
The proposal was accepted and the speaker referred it to the appropriate committee for a decision within two months.
Read: Atta Tarar, Punjab Assembly not place for middle finger
Meanwhile, Mian Mohammad Aslam Iqbal, another MP of in former decree partyMaryam Nawaz, Vice President of PML-N, said. should condemned the actions of Tarar.
“I was told to talk less [but] we are not sold. we stand with [former prime minister] Imran Khan,” he said.
Former law minister Mohammad Basharat Raja, demanded that the room assigned to Tarar in provincial legislature to be passed back.
He also claimed that the current Punjab government wanted to arrest legislators on “large scale”.
session presided over by Elahi also rejected Punjab laws (abolition and removal of Difficulties) Ordinance 2022, promulgated yesterday by the governor, which states that secretary of law and parliament affairs department would issue notices when the governor or speaker called or adjourned session.
Decree also canceled the provincial assembly of Punjab Secretariat (Services) Act 2019, Provincial Assembly of Punjab Privileges (Amendment) Act 2021 (XXI of 2021) and the Provincial Assembly of Punjab Privilege (Amendment) Act 2021 (XXVI of 2021).
The Amendment Act had added a schedule to original 1972 law punishing a bureaucrat. for violation of privilege of house, any of its committee or member and granting judicial powers to the Speaker and/or a committee named by him or the House on violation.
Reaction to the decree in today’s sessionRaja called it a “shameful act”. He claimed that the Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz “begged” for amendments should be passed.
Subsequently session under the presidency of Elahi was interrupted until 13:00. on Thursday (tomorrow).
Talking to media after in day, MPA Mian Mahmudur Rashid said the legal action will continue against Deputy Speaker, and Speaker of Elahi, Electoral Commission of Pakistan and higher the courts will be asked to remove him from office and disqualify him.
Raja criticized way today’s events walked down and manner in what is the alternative assembly session was carried out. He said Punjab affairs were run in in an illegal and unconstitutional manner.
“I think that everything that happens wrong and we have consulted with the speaker … that we cannot put up with this situation for It will take a long time to go to court.”
Meanwhile, Elahi claimed that the attempt was made deprive the Punjab Assembly of his rights. He said no such action was ever taken in previous governments.
Stalemate between government and opposition
Punjab Assembly on There was a one-day drama on Monday when the speaker of Elahi refused to hold session as well as allow provincial budget present, demanding from the inspector general of police (IGP) first apologize to him and withdraw all lawsuits filed against workers and parliamentarians PTI and PML-Q, in connection with chaos April 16 session.
After back-to-back meetings between the Treasury and the opposition for over six hours followed by brief proceedings of the house speaker took strong position over no-show of Main secretary and the IGP and argued that the proceedings would only proceed if both officers were present in mounting gallery.
After suspending the hearings until 23:00, Elahi adjourned the meeting. session until 13:00 on Tuesday – without presentation permission of provinces budget for financial year 2022-23.
However, the proceedings could not move forward again when the meeting is 40th session resumed on Tuesday. Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, who frustrated looked at the speaker tactics, announced he will come up with another strategy to deal with with in problem.
Then in day Governor Baligur Rehman canceled the current 40th session and called the 41st Regiment to Ivan-i-Iqbal, about 700 meters from the Punjab Assembly, at 14:00. on Wednesday (today) However, despite the governor’s orders, the speaker stated that the 40th session would continue.
Edition: Opposition in Punjab once upon a time again leading province to chaos, stalling the budgetpresentation
It is reported that Punjab government showed some flexibility over conclusion of cases against Legislators and PTI workers, but weren’t ready to budge over Appearance of IGP and CS in front of speaker and opposition MPAs in in house. “Hamza receives orders from above party leadership over a case that forced him not to give in to the demands of the opposition,” the source said.
Conversation with journalists on On Tuesday evening, the speaker of Elahi called the proposed Ivan-i-Iqbal session illegal and unconstitutional.
The opposition believes that the parallel session will look like “layout” one PML-N kept a couple of months ago at a local hotel to elect Hamza CM.
Former electoral commission of Pakistan (EKP) secretary Kunwar Dilshad, said DawnNewsTV that Elahi “wrongly” interpreted the law and the Constitution.
“All constitutional and legal powers belong to in Governor of Punjab. The speaker does not power convene a provincial assembly session,” he said.
” real authority with Governor of Punjab and session he called to Ivan-i-Iqbal … to prevent chaos and danger. I do not understand the law by which an experienced politician like Chaudhry Parvez Elahi called session.”
Meanwhile, PTI leaders criticized the parallel budget session, with former planning and development minister Assad Umar called it “a spectacle”.
Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said Punjab facing “worst constitutional and administrative crisis”.
“Neither chief minister no cabinet is known,” he said, referring to ongoing cases challenging the election of Hamza as head of minister.
“come out of [your] stubbornness and selfishness. Give people a chance [so] political crisis may reach final conclusion and [we] move elections,” he tweeted.
Budget proposals
Meanwhile, budget previously approved by the Cabinet proposed a 15 percent increase in salary of public sector workers, 5% increase in pensions of pensioners and 109.1 billion rupees. for projects with foreign funding. Proposed budget provides for a broad range of grants and aid packages worth 190.58 billion rupees and about 1.712 trillion rupees. for provision of services in various sectors — 20 pcs. higher than the current fiscal year Rs1.428tr.
According to budget document, vol. government flagship initiatives next fiscal for 100 billion rupees for social protection (utility support program) and 31.5 billion rupees. for only southern Punjab.
Other flagship projects included Rs 9 billion. for Road Rehabilitation Program, Rs 5 billion for land acquisition for development projects, 1.35 billion rupees for minority development and 1.5 billion rupees for security of laptops for students.
The proposed sectoral allocation will be Rs 1,083.69 billion. for social and 216.68 billion rupees for infrastructure developmentRs 127.32 billion for production, Rs 663.15 for services and 306.09 billion rupees for special sector initiatives.
Additional report by Ali Waqar.
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