Uproar in PA over provincial budget 2025-26
The session, with Deputy Speaker Naveed Anthony in the chair, saw mixed reaction as government members hailed the budget as a people-centric, while opposition members termed it as anti-poor and away from ground realities.
Opening the debate, MQM-P's Jamal Ahmed Khan highlighted the problems in his constituency, saying that people in North Nazimabad were struggling for water. He said, the solid waste management system was dysfunctional, and trash remained uncollected for three days, negates city mayor's commitment of cleaning all areas and roads. Jamal questioned, which roads and areas he is talking about?
PPP's Shazia Karim accused the federal government of discriminatory treatment towards Sindh. She criticised the exclusion of key projects including the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway and the K-IV water project. She questioned, "Is Sindh a slave to the federation?"
PPP's Ijaz Shah Bukhari said the people had not forgotten the days of bodies found in gunny bags in Karachi, asserting that the PPP had always stood by the public. He criticised the federal government's neglectful attitude toward Sindh, pointing out the ongoing 16-hour power outages in the province.
He called for upgrading the Tando Muhammad Khan Hospital to the district level, increasing its budget, and providing a fire brigade for the local municipal committee.
MQM-P's Abdullah Sheikh warned against maligning the Mohajir community through 'baseless allegations', while raising pointed questions about Zulfiqar Mirza from the gang war era.
He mentioned an incident in Surjani Town where one person lost his life after receiving an extortion note.
PPP's Maliha Manzoor defended saying, the budget was people-friendly. "Women flood victims will receive property rights. Pink buses are already operating in Karachi, and we plan to introduce EV taxis and scooters," she said.
MQM-P's Farah Sohail slammed the budget as anti-people, saying the Sindh government continued the 17-year trend of ignoring public needs.
She question, where the PPP's 'Roti, Kapra aur Makaan' has gone. She claimed that development funds were slashed and projects left uninitiated.
She also criticised the government's health sector performance, pointing out that an assembly member was set to receive Rs70 million in public funds for medical treatment abroad. Ijaz Haq of MQM-P criticised the lack of budget allocations for Orangi Town and the continued neglect of the Qatar Hospital trauma centre.
PPP's Nuzhat Pathan said, despite the federal government's neglect, Sindh has managed to present a better budget.
PPP's MPA Farzana Baloch raised the issue of K-Electric's overbilling and its impact on Karachi's residents. "Those who pay are punished, while defaulters go unchecked," she remarked. PTI's Muhammad Owais condemned the recent arrests of party workers and MPAs, including former opposition leaders, during a youth wing rally. He criticised the PPP for ignoring opposition recommendations in the budget and failing to manage K-Electric's performance.
MQM-P's Adil Askari accused Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah of nepotism and objected to the appointment of his brother-in-law as chief secretary which is against the principles of good governance. His comments drew strong backlash from PPP members. His remarks angered PPP members, leading to an uproar in the House.
PPP MPA, Mukesh Chawla strongly objected to the speech and demanded that the chief minister's name be removed from the record, calling the statement 'unnecessary and inflammatory'. Following the objections, members from both parties stood up and exchanged harsh words, further escalating the tension. The session descended into chaos, prompting the acting speaker to intervene.
The acting speaker urged the lawmakers, saying, "Please refrain from directly addressing each other. Maintain the dignity of the House." The situation intensified further when another MQM-P member addressed PPP's Farooq Awan, saying, "If, as you say, the MQM founder was a devil, you were probably an inspector in the Sindh Police back then. If you had the courage, you should have spoken up at the time. Now that his politics are over, there's no point in cursing him."
Following the debate, the Assembly was adjourned until 10am on Tuesday. The debate is expected to continue over the next several days.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
AI policy can revolutionize Pakistan's economy, say experts
IT sector experts and stakeholders hailed the government's comprehensive National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, terming it a milestone towards revolutionizing economic development in the country within next few years through collaboration and implementation in true letter and spirit. They said the policy will open a new era of opportunities for Pakistan, as it can not only attract local and foreign investments, but could also increase exports of high-tech services and products. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the National AI Policy 2025 in a cabinet meeting recently which aims to create a complete AI ecosystem in Pakistan and democratize access to AI, enhance public services, as well as open up new employment and innovation avenues. AI education According to Mehwish Salman Ali, Member AI committee at Pakistan IT industry association, P@SHA, Pakistan needs to collaborate with local and foreign universities and training institutions to prepare human resources for AI, including 10,000 trainers and 1 million IT graduates in the next two years, which requires joint efforts and a uniform structure. In this regard, top IT companies along with universities should not only launch relevant degree programs but also establish innovation centers in major cities to provide platforms to professionals for working on new ideas along with upskilling and capacity-building, she added. She also suggested that the government should build state-level relationship with advanced countries and emerging economies such as Gulf countries for collaborations on various AI projects for mutual benefits and trade ties. The National AI policy outlines training 1 million AI professionals by 2030, establishing an AI Innovation Fund and AI Venture Fund to boost private sector involvement, creation of 50,000 AI-driven civic projects and 1,000 local AI products in the next five years, distribution of 3,000 annual AI scholarships and facilitation of 1,000 research projects, inclusion of women and differently-abled individuals through accessible education and financing, strengthening cybersecurity and national data security protocols, promoting global partnerships and compliance with international AI regulations. Further, an AI Council and a comprehensive master plan and action matrix will oversee the policy's implementation under the policy. $10 billion IT exports Senior Vice Chairman P@SHA Muhammad Umair Nizam said the policy will prove as a roadmap for achieving major milestones on business, technology and economic fronts in Pakistan. This policy may play a pivotal role in achieving the target of $10 billion IT exports by FY29 , and open windows of opportunities for investments in IT and allied companies, he said. However, the government should provide basic infrastructure for reaping the benefits of this policy, including fast internet, affordable devices, electricity, and workstations in different cities, he added. The government should also launch awareness campaigns nationwide because the country not only need professionals and developers of AI but also ethical and productive users of this technologies, he further said. P@SHA said it will extend its full support in the ambitious goal of the government through its members. Meanwhile Dr Noman Said, an IT exporter and CEO SI Global Solution said 'Pakistan's draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy is an encouraging and much-needed step toward creating a future-ready digital economy, but it is not short of vision as Pakistan's history with tech policies is riddled with delays and diluted impact.' 'To make this count, we must act decisively, cut red tape, and deliver early wins that demonstrate credibility. The real challenge isn't crafting a policy, it's turning it into progress.' The policy sets goals stretching to 2028, while AI globally is evolving every 6–12 months, hence, the country must move at the speed of innovation, not bureaucracy, he suggested. While the creation of different institutions is proposed, success will depend on whether these institutions are led by technocrats and industry experts or bogged down by administrative hurdles, Dr Noman said. The private sector, particularly startups and SMEs, must be incentivized with regulatory sandboxes, tax breaks, and access to public datasets to drive adoption and innovation from the ground up. He pointed out that the policy mentions international collaboration but must act fast to align with global AI alliances. ' If we don't integrate now, we risk becoming data consumers, not contributors.'
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PDWP approves six uplift schemes
LAHORE: The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) Punjab for the year 2025-26 on Friday approved six development schemes of different departments' worth over Rs 36 billion. The meeting was chaired by the Chairman Planning & Development Board Punjab Dr. Naeem Rauf which was also attended Secretary P&D Board Rafaqat Ali, Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, members of the P&D Board, and other senior officers. The approved scheme includes Chief Minister's Punjab Hi-Tech Farm Mechanization Financing Program (2025–26 to 2028–29) at an estimated cost of over Rs. 8.826 billion and Agricultural Farm Mechanization Project (2025–26 to 2027–28) at an estimated cost of over Rs. 6.169 billion. The third scheme was Directorate of Provincial Healthcare Service Monitoring & Evaluation System (Revised) at an estimated cost of over Rs. 2.104 billion. Similarly, the PDWP also approved community empowerment and strengthening of healthcare access through Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics (Revised) at an estimated cost of over Rs. 9.360 billion. The meeting also given green signal to chief minister's meal programme for enrolled special students in special education institutions across Punjab at an estimated cost of Rs. 972.584 million. The sixth scheme approved was the Chief Minister's Saaf Pani Program Across Punjab (Phase-I) at an estimated cost of Rs. 9 billion. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Govt criticised for water neglect
Listen to article Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah criticised the federal government on Friday for releasing only Rs3 billion this year out of the Rs78 billion it had committed for the K-IV water project for Karachi. He said the Sindh government had funded all associated components of the project itself. Speaking at the inauguration of the 20th 'My Karachi – Oasis of Harmony' Exhibition at Expo Center, on Friday Shah said four major K-IV sub-projects were ongoing. A Rs50 billion expansion of water feeders would be completed this year. A separate Rs170 billion project is bringing water from Keenjhar Lake to Karachi, with a power plant being installed by STDC to support two pumping stations. The chief minister announced that a new 100 MGD Hub Canal had been completed and would be inaugurated on August 14, while the old canal would be restored to the same capacity. By year-end, Karachi is expected to receive 200 MGD water from Hub Dam. He also highlighted the Dumlottee project for South Karachi and said 150 MGD additional water would be supplied to the city this year. Shah urged the federal government to increase Karachi's water allocation from Hub Dam, especially as availability had improved due to better climatic conditions. Referring to the 2015–16 World Bank gap analysis, he said Karachi needed Rs3 trillion to meet modern urban standards. Large-scale infrastructure, he stressed, could not be handled by the provincial government alone and required federal support. He criticised the Centre for not convening the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for 18 months. He pointed out that although Sindh produces 70% of Pakistan's gas, it is denied its constitutional share. He vowed to raise the issue in the next CCI meeting and reminded that the constitution requires CCI to meet every three months. Shah called on citizens to fulfil legal duties, such as paying taxes and registering vehicles, and not blame law enforcement for governance issues. He reassured the business community of the Sindh government's full support. Chairman BMG Zubair Motiwala thanked the provincial government for supporting KCCI and urged the CM to expedite K-IV to resolve water shortages in Karachi's industrial areas. He highlighted the exhibition's global recognition and urged foreign diplomats to promote Karachi's positive image abroad. KCCI President Jawed Bilwani appreciated the 'Marka-e-Haq' theme for Independence Day and recalled the 2004 origins of the exhibition. He urged the Sindh government to establish a world-class Expo Center and upgrade Karachi's only existing one. Bilwani criticised high water tariffs and the incomplete K-IV project. He expressed concern over persistent gas shortages and deteriorating infrastructure. He called for road repairs, better drainage, encroachment removal, improved traffic, street crime control, and accelerated Safe City Project implementation.
