Shehbaz Sharif, President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, lashed out at the PTI-led government, claiming that the ruling party has submerged the country’s economy in debt while inflation is rising at an “unprecedented level.”
Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday (21 September) said “Five million people have been rendered unemployed… it has become impossible for the poor to afford two square meals a day.” While talking about PTI, Shehbaz said that the party who promised to give 10 million jobs has only made life hard for the masses.
Furthermore, he added “the price of electricity and petrol have skyrocketed and the finance minister said the government would not impose taxes on fuel,” while the ruling party in its three-year rule did not build a single penny project.
National Assembly
Shireen Mazari, the Human Rights Minister, stated that Shehbaz had pledged to drag PPP leader Asif Zardari to the streets and reclaim the country’s squandered money. She added, “His own brother [Nawaz Sharif] plundered the country and fled.”
Ali Muhammad Khan, Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs, said the PML-N supreme leader, who has been in London since 2019, should return to the country and surrender himself to the courts.
In addition, he also said that the Prime Minister gave authentic evidence to the country’s apex court due to which he was declared ‘Sadiq and Ameen.’
Shehbaz Sharif, in his concluding remarks, said that he did not want to start any long debate, but it stands true that the former prime minister was convicted based on Iqama (residency permit), not the Panama scandal.
PPP central leader Shazia Marri stated at the start of the proceedings, presided over by panel chairman Amjad Khan Niazi, that she wished to introduce a consensus motion for 16,000 employees.
The supreme court, last month, declared the PPP law of Sacked Employees Ordinance Act 2010 as illegal and unconstitutional.
Former PPP Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said Marri should be permitted to present the motion. He added, “It is the members’ prerogative.”
Khawaja Asif of the PML-N stated that most of the impacted personnel were nearing retirement and that the government should reach an agreement with them.
Federal Minister Mazari said Asif should be ashamed of talking about rehabilitating personnel fired by his party’s government.
Shehbaz said that the federal minister’s remarks were “reprehensible,” and that the party would not allow them.
Five private member’s bills were introduced and forwarded to the appropriate committees for further review.
They include:
- The Islamabad Capital Territory Prevention of Beggary Bill, 2021.
- Contractors Registration Bill, 2021.
- Supreme Court (Number of Judges) (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
- Zainab Alerts, Response and Recovery (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
- Benazir Income Support Programme (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The bills on the agenda that was different:
- The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
- National Commission for Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
- Memon University Bill, 2021 and Microfinance Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
