By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazir Tarar on Monday praised the Budget 2023-24, describing it as a well-balanced plan that addresses the needs of the people during a challenging financial crisis. Speaking on the floor of the Senate, he emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting employees who have been severely impacted by rising inflation.
Minister Tarar highlighted the Cabinet’s extensive deliberations, which lasted over an hour, to ensure financial relief for government employees. Recognizing their right to meet household expenses and other domestic obligations, the government had decided to increase their salaries, he added.
Discussing the main features of the budget, Minister Tarar emphasized the revolutionary reforms implemented in various sectors, including agriculture, information technology, education, trade, tourism, energy, and youth programmes.
He encouraged his colleagues to provide their proposals in a timely manner for further improvement and inclusion in the upcoming budget. Minister Tarar reassured the house that the government, led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), would continue its efforts to improve the country’s financial stability through all available means.
Earlier, he commended the Opposition Leader in the Senate, Dr. Shahzad Waseem, for his constructive criticism of certain economic policies and his proposals to further enhance them. Minister Tarar also criticized the economic policies of the previous government, noting that before the Supreme Court’s decision against former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in 2017, the economic indicators were positive, with stable commodity prices accessible to the lower middle class.
Blaming the previous government for the financial turmoil in the country, he pointed out that it took significant loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which had not been done in the country’s history for the past 75 years. He further emphasized that the previous government violated the terms and conditions of the IMF agreement, and the consequences were still being felt by the nation today.
Minister Tarar acknowledged that despite reservations, former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif offered assistance for economic stability in 2018, but the government failed to recognize the significance of this offer.
He mentioned that despite financial constraints, the PDM coalition government had made considerable efforts to provide maximum relief to the people in Balochistan, Sindh, Southern Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who were facing challenging times during the flash floods and torrential rains.
Minister Tarar stressed the importance of running the country’s affairs in accordance with the law and the Constitution, stating that politics should be a continuous process of dialogue rather than a means to create polarization.
He condemned the incidents that occurred on May 9 as a black day in the political history of the country and emphasized that there was a comprehensive plan behind these acts, which would not be tolerated by the state and the nation under any circumstances.
