Agency :
The opposition parties Friday rejected the budget, criticising it for having “no direction” which would lead to “more unemployment” in the country.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan termed the budget anti-people and anti-business, saying it was based on unrealistic assumptions on inflation and economic growth.
Former premier Imran Khan tweeted, “We reject this anti-people and anti-business budget, presented by the imported government. Budget is based on unrealistic assumptions on inflation (11.5pc) and economic growth (5pc). Today’s SPI of 24pc indicates that inflation will be between 25-30pc which on the one hand will destroy the common man”.
“And, on the other hand, retard economic growth due to high interest rate. All our progressive tax reforms and pro-poor programmes such as Sehat card, Kamyab Pakistan are being shelved,” PTI chairman maintained.
He also wrote on his Twitter account that it was an unimaginative, Purana (old) Pakistan, budget creating more burdens and misery for the nation. Former finance minister Asad Umar reacted strongly to the budget-2022-23, alleging the ‘imported government’ had imposed inflation burden on the people in the form of budget.
“The corrupt rulers have nothing to provide relief to the people while Finance Minister Miftah Ismail tells several lies about reducing inflation,” Asad Umar, who is PTI’s Secretary General charged in his reaction over the new budget.
Umar contended that Miftah Ismail told the nation a few months ago that petrol should not cost more than Rs137 and has now taken it to Rs210: Miftah Ismail said that there should be no more than Rs 12 unit of electricity and now it has also been increased by Rs 7 to 8.
“There is a storm of inflation and economy is rapidly being destroyed. Cement sales have come down by 16% while construction, as a result will be stopped due to cement sale impact and people associated with it will become unemployed,” he regretted.
“At present, the situation in the country is very worrying about the economy and situation like Sri Lanka may arise,” Asad Umar feared. Separately, in a video statement, PTI leader Hammad Azhar said the inflation would increase by 2-3 per cent in the country and the gross domestic product (GDP) would be halved – dropping from 6 to 2-3 per cent.
Azhar, a former finance and energy minister, said there was “a lot of instability” in Pakistan’s economy and the country was on the brink of default – a notion that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail rejected a few days back.
“In the budget, we did not see the direction that we needed to take the country out of the economic crisis and clear the uncertainty that the incumbent government has created,” Azhar said, adding that Pakistan would face “more employment”. Azhar said the budget was passed “in a haste” and does not hold “any importance”.
