Pakistan Oppn calls Jan 13 'darkest day' in its history as Assembly passes mini-budget

A day after Pakistan National Assembly (NA) approved supplementary bills or 'mini-budget', central opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday slammed the PM Imran Khan government, saying that it was the "darkest day in the history of Pakistan." Referring to the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2021, PML-N senior leader and former PM of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stated that "January 13 was the darkest day for the Parliament as the bills were approved without any discussion," Geo News reported. Abbasi's remarks came as he was addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday.

"Bills from the NA session were approved in haste and even government was unable to elaborate the situation," PML-N leader and former Pak PM Abbasi said, adding that the passing of the bills in the Senate without discussion was "unprecedented."

"No rules and constitutional guidelines were followed during the voting of the bill and It all happened in the Prime minister (Imran Khan's) presence," Abbasi added.

The former Pak PM went on to lash out at the federal ministers saying that the bill was passed under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "The ministers admitted that they were compelled to pass the bill. Why are you defending the supplementary bills then," he questioned. Taking a jibe at the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) government over its handling of economic keys to the IMF, he said, "nothing is more dangerous than the burden of more than (Pakistani) Rs. 700 billion have been placed on the nation's shoulder." He added, "We're not ready to hand over the country's economy to the IMF for the sake of a 6 billion dollar loan."

Pakistan NA passes 'mini-budget'

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan on January 13 passed the SBP Amendment Bill 2021, which has been dubbed by the Opposition as 'mini-budget'. The supplementary finance bill, endorsed by a majority of Members of Parliament, is aimed at implementing new tax measures in an ambitious bid to reach an Rs. 5.8 trillion target for Pakistan to receive a $1 billion tranche. As per ANI, the bill was deemed necessary by the Imran Khan-led PTI government to ensure Pakistan's 6th review of the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFE) received its clearance from the IMF executive board. The board is scheduled to meet later this month. The bill comes at least six months after Pakistan's Finance Minister Malik Ghulam Mohammad "painted a rosy picture" of the historic tax collection targets, PML-N general secretary Ahsan Iqbal had said.  

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