ISLAMABAD:
Opposition politicians have sharply criticized the federal budget, arguing that it fails to provide relief to ordinary citizens and reflects the government’s inability to address Pakistan’s worsening economic challenges.
Leaders of an alliance of opposition parties – TTAP – and JI on Sunday criticized the budget announced by the PML-N-led federal government on Friday.
Speaking at a seminar at the National Press Club, Leader of Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said Pakistan’s expenditure has long exceeded its revenue and no serious effort has ever been made to reverse the trend.
He compared the country’s economic situation to that of a household spending more than it earns, warning that such a household eventually finds itself trapped in mounting debt and forced to sell its assets. He said poverty was increasing rapidly, prices of essential commodities had become unaffordable and government claims about poverty levels did not reflect the reality on the ground.
“The poor cannot afford medical care, while the government is unable to provide basic services,” he said. He added that in many parts of the country, schools have remained unchanged for decades and educational standards remain alarmingly high. According to him, youth unemployment officially stands at around 30 percent, but in reality it is closer to 60 percent.
Awaam Party Pakistan president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the budget had become largely useless and the last four years had been among the worst for Pakistan’s economy.
He said the government had failed to provide meaningful relief and had merely removed some previous taxes while imposing new indirect taxes that would ultimately affect all citizens.
Abbasi argued that the country’s economic woes did not stem from the IMF but from domestic policy failures. “The real problem is not the IMF; it is our own policies,” he said, adding that the government continued to spend beyond its means.
He warned that rising debt and interest payments were placing a huge burden on the economy and could also affect national security.
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja also expressed concern over the country’s growing dependence on borrowing. He warned that reliance on loans would further worsen economic distortions and said meaningful reforms were essential to achieve long-term stability.
Raja noted that Pakistan’s public debt had increased by around 40 trillion rupees over the past four years, representing an increase of almost 100 percent in the total debt.
In his press conference, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman described the budget as an IMF-driven document that did not provide any meaningful relief to the people. He demanded the immediate removal of the oil tax and requested that electricity rates for industries be set at 9 cents per unit.
He warned that if the government failed to provide relief, the JI would launch a nationwide protest movement, including roadblocks.
