Punjab Assembly Continues Debate On Budget 2018-19

The Punjab assembly during its Tuesday's sitting continued general discussion on annual budget 2018-19.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Oct, 2018 ) :The Punjab assembly during its Tuesday's sitting continued general discussion on annual budget 2018-19.

As many as 13 lawmakers from treasury benches Omer Farooq, Nadeem Qureshi, Nawabzada Naseem Khan, Shehbaz Ahmed, Shaheen Raza, Rashida Khanum, Khadija Omer Farooqui of PML-Q, Muavia Azam of Rah-e-Haq Party participated in the budget discussion.

Taking part in the budget debate, lawmakers eulogised the Punjab government for giving best ever budget under tight situation. They said allocations for health, education and other important sectors were amazing and would bring prosperity in the province. The legislators also put forward valuable proposals to add in the budget document.

Provincial Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht who was present in the House noted down lawmakers' proposals for inclusion in the provincial budget.

Earlier, the 4th sitting of the third (budget) session of the current assembly was started one hour and 57 minutes behind its scheduled time with Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the chair. Some 103 MPAs were present at outset of the sitting.

Moved by the Minister of Public Prosecution, Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, the House unanimously adopted a supplementary resolution condemning PML-N leader Nehal Hashmi's controversial statement.

In his supplementary statement, Minister Zaheer-ud-Din said, the government was re-considering to withdraw tax on five marla houses. "We had given relief to small houses owners during our last tenure but their predecessors imposed tax on houses up to five marla," he added.

Speaker Pervaiz Elahi also suggested identification of those development projects undertook during PML-Q government in Punjab and were abandoned by the previous PML-N government and ultimately their cost had risen because of delay in completion.

It is pertinent to mention that PML-N lawmakers led by opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz did not attend the sitting as a protest against suspension of six of their members.

A lawmaker from opposition benches pointed out the quorum which was found complete after ringing the assembly's bells for five minutes.

As the agenda for the day was completed, Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, who was presiding over the sitting in absence of Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, adjourned the House to meet again on October 24 (Wednesday) at 11 am.