Pakistan opposition rejects Imran Khan govt's mini-budget, terms it anti-people

Rejecting the mini-budget tabled by the Imran Khan government, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has termed it as an "anti-public budget".

Rejecting the budget by the PTI led federal government, Bilawal said that Pakistan Prime Minister's deal with International Monetary Fund (IMF) will become disastrous for the country, ARY News reported.

Furthermore, PPP Chairman slammed the federal government for a hike in the rates of mobile phone calls and even imposition of taxes on books.

On Thursday, the Imran Khan government tabled a mini-budget in the assembly, proposing to raise a variety of taxes in the country to meet certain conditions set by the IMF. Under the deal with the IMF, the Pakistan government has revised its tax revenue target from PKR 5829 billion to PKR 6100 billion, according to Samaa TV.

With the passing of the bill, various commodities and services will become expensive in Pakistan. The bill proposes to raise taxes on phones, jewellery, computers, electric vehicles, cars, stationery, services in Islamabad, foreign TV dramas, imported food items and many others, Samaa TV reported.

Amid the protests from the opposition members, Pakistan's Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin tabled the supplementary finance bill 2021 (mini-budget) on Thursday.

The Imran Khan government also passed several ordinances through resolutions enraging the opposition.

Earlier, the cabinet approved the supplementary finance bill, paving the way for the increase in the General Sales Tax on 150 items including smartphones, jewellery, and vehicles.

(ANI)

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