Punjab govt decides not to present full-year budget after opposition

LAHORE: Amid fears of strong protest from the opposition parties, the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government in Punjab has decided not to present a full year budget for the upcoming fiscal year, ARY News reported.

Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghous will table a supplementary budget for the financial year 2018-19 on May 7.

Earlier, Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah had said the government has decided in principle to unveil the budget for four months only.

He said the government would also present the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2018-19 and will ensure its passage before end of its term in May.

The PML-N government at the center had to face strong resistance from the opposition – mainly Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – while presenting its sixth budget.

On April 27, the newly appointed Finance Minister Miftah Ismail presented the budget for financial year 2018-19 amid strong protest from the opposition parties.

Opposition leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman in her opening speech on the floor of the house, lately, slammed the government, saying the opposition doesn’t accept the budget and will protest inside and outside parliament.

Senator Rehman termed the budget pre-poll rigging, saying the government doesn’t have mandate to present the sixth budget during its five-year tenure.