The National Assembly is continuing discussion on the budget for the year 2023-24.
At the outset, the House prayed to Allah Almighty to keep all the Muslims safe from all accidents and tragedies including natural disasters.
Later, taking part in the discussion, Romina Khurshid Alam said the government has presented a people centric and forward thinking budget while keeping in mind both the short and long term measures.
Alluding to the challenges faced by the country, she stressed that more resources should be allocated to deal with the issue of climate change.
She said there is also a need to encourage the farmers to shift to smart farming in order to enhance the productivity of the agriculture sector.
Ghulam Mustafa Shah emphasized accelerating the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the flood affected areas.
Minister of State for Finance Ayesha Ghous Pasha said the federal government has fully supported rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities in the flood affected areas.
In his remarks, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif asked the educational institutions to focus on teaching of moral values to the youth.
He also apologized over the remarks that he made against the Vice Chancellors the other day saying that he respects the teachers and educational institutions from the core of his heart. He, however, said that it is a fact that corruption has become rampant in our society.
On the request of the Defence Minister, the Speaker expunged the words that were used against the Vice Chancellors from the proceedings of the House.
Ehsan Ul Haq Bajwa said that subsidy being given to the farmers in the budget will have positive impact on the economy. Nasir Khan Musazai called for tough and timely decisions to put the economy in the right direction. He said that construction of new dams is imperative which will help generate electricity in the country.
Mir Amer Ali Khan Magsi emphasized for promotion of research in the agriculture sector to enhance its productivity.
Muhammad Israr Tareen said strict action should be taken against the people involved in the despicable incidents of May 9. He asked the government to allocate more funds for the development of Balochistan province.
Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh stressed for political stability saying it is imperative to achieve economic stability.
Syed Ibrar Ali Shah was appreciative of the government for enhancing the salaries of government employees.
Mehnaz Akbar Aziz demanded of restoring railway service from Narowal to Shakargarh to facilitate the common people. She said special measures should be taken for the uplift of the women.
Nasiba Channa called for diverting more resources for the people of Sindh. She said the government should provide relief on essential items.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti said focus should be made on the rural economy to put the country on path of development and prosperity. He recommended that more funds needs to be provided to Sargodha University’s ongoing projects.
Naz Baloch criticized the PTI for increasing the country’s debt from 24 billion dollars to 55 billion dollars in just four years. She appreciated the government for giving special incentives to the agriculture sector. She called for increasing IT universities across Pakistan.
Zahra Wadood Fatemi said the government should pay special attention to the health sector. She proposed to increase the number of basic health units across the country to reduce burden on big hospitals. She proposed special incentives for the disabled in sports.
Ahmad Raza Maneka demanded establishment of a university in Pakpattan district.
The House will now meet again tomorrow at 11 in the morning.
Source: Radio Pakistan
