Latest news with #Rs6
Business Recorder
8 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday launched a scathing attack on the recently passed Federal Budget for 2025-26, denouncing it as a 'banker's blueprint' crafted to enrich the elite at the expense of the masses. Speaking at a presser, the opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, flanked by Asad Qaiser, Gohar Ali Khan, and other senior party leaders, condemned the budget as a 'giveaway written by a banker, for his banker buddies'. 'This is not a people's budget; it's a banker's business plan,' Ayub said. 'The hybrid regime plans to borrow another Rs6,300 billion from local banks, allowing four or five bank owners to graduate from billionaires to trillionaires. Meanwhile, the nation sinks deeper into debt.' Ayub accused the government of both fiscal cruelty and political repression, warning that the prices of essential commodities such as flour, sugar, and lentils would soar under the new fiscal measures. 'They couldn't even face the opposition in Parliament. Both the finance minister and the prime minister evaded accountability.' Moreover, Ayub claimed that former MNA Ijaz Chaudhry was abducted in the dead of night, while former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi remain in jail as hostages of political vendetta. He said several senior PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Omar Cheema, Hassaan Niazi, and Yasmin Rashid and others were imprisoned without bail. However, Asad Qaiser accused the government of reducing Parliament to a rubber stamp. MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel criticising the powerful energy lobbies, alleged that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were 'untouchable profiteers' who have plundered the nation for decades under successive governments. 'These IPPs have become a cartel, bleeding the country dry through inflated capacity payments and ironclad contracts. They get paid whether they produce electricity or not while the average Pakistani is left in the dark, both literally and financially.' Masti accused the government of shielding these corporate giants while the public suffers from rolling blackouts and sky-high electricity bills. 'Every time the people tighten their belts, these energy barons loosen theirs. And now, with this budget, the same crooks are getting even more incentives. It is daylight robbery, institutionalised.' He demanded an open audit of all IPP contracts and called for a complete overhaul of the power sector. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
13 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
PTI says budget will enrich elite at the cost of masses
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday launched a scathing attack on the recently passed Federal Budget for 2025-26, denouncing it as a 'banker's blueprint' crafted to enrich the elite at the expense of the masses. Speaking at a presser, the opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, flanked by Asad Qaiser, Gohar Ali Khan, and other senior party leaders, condemned the budget as a 'giveaway written by a banker, for his banker buddies'. 'This is not a people's budget; it's a banker's business plan,' Ayub said. 'The hybrid regime plans to borrow another Rs6,300 billion from local banks, allowing four or five bank owners to graduate from billionaires to trillionaires. Meanwhile, the nation sinks deeper into debt.' Ayub accused the government of both fiscal cruelty and political repression, warning that the prices of essential commodities such as flour, sugar, and lentils would soar under the new fiscal measures. 'They couldn't even face the opposition in Parliament. Both the finance minister and the prime minister evaded accountability.' Moreover, Ayub claimed that former MNA Ijaz Chaudhry was abducted in the dead of night, while former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi remain in jail as hostages of political vendetta. He said several senior PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Omar Cheema, Hassaan Niazi, and Yasmin Rashid and others were imprisoned without bail. However, Asad Qaiser accused the government of reducing Parliament to a rubber stamp. MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel criticising the powerful energy lobbies, alleged that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were 'untouchable profiteers' who have plundered the nation for decades under successive governments. 'These IPPs have become a cartel, bleeding the country dry through inflated capacity payments and ironclad contracts. They get paid whether they produce electricity or not while the average Pakistani is left in the dark, both literally and financially.' Masti accused the government of shielding these corporate giants while the public suffers from rolling blackouts and sky-high electricity bills. 'Every time the people tighten their belts, these energy barons loosen theirs. And now, with this budget, the same crooks are getting even more incentives. It is daylight robbery, institutionalised.' He demanded an open audit of all IPP contracts and called for a complete overhaul of the power sector. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Time of India
Tadoba Safari Gets Pricier; Core Zone to Close from July 1 for Monsoon
Chandrapur: Planning a tiger safari at Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)? Be prepared to pay more, as the reserve—famous for its thrilling tiger sightings—has hiked its safari charges by Rs1,000 per gypsy. The revised rates came into effect just two days ago, catching many tourists off guard. As per the new structure, a single safari in the core zone will now cost Rs8,800 on weekdays and Rs12,800 on weekends and public holidays if the booking is made 60 to 120 days in advance. Similarly, if booked between 9 and 60 days before the safari, the trip will cost Rs5,800 on weekdays and Rs6,800 on weekends. These rates will be effective from the new season, as core safaris reopen for tourists on October 1. Safaris in the buffer zone have also become costlier, with charges rising to Rs6,000 on weekdays and Rs7,000 on weekends and holidays. Tourists who had booked their trips in advance will not be affected by the hike, but those who made bookings in the past couple of days are already feeling the pinch. Resort owners and guides have expressed concern over the sudden increase, especially as basic infrastructure in the buffer areas remains underdeveloped. Meanwhile, Tadoba's core safari gates will close for the monsoon season and reopen on October 1, according to field director Prabhu Nath Shukla. "Some buffer gates will remain open during the monsoon period. The buffer zones significantly decongest core areas, support community-based tourism, and ensure wider access to wildlife sightings," he said. He added that as the monsoon approaches, it becomes crucial to regulate tourism activities to ensure the safety of tourists and allow nature to rejuvenate. Consequently, core gates remain closed during this period, while a few buffer gates stay open. Tourists, safari enthusiasts, and stakeholders are advised to check availability and book safaris only through the official website: The forest department clarified that the annual closure is necessary to prevent damage to the reserve's ecosystem and to ensure visitor safety, as muddy and unpaved roads become risky during heavy rains. Though the monsoon arrived earlier this year, safari bookings had already been made until June 30, making it difficult for the authorities to shut the zone before the usual July 1 timeline.
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Cabinet Division: NA approves Rs81.45bn demands for grants
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly approved Rs81.45 billion demands for grants for the Cabinet Division by rejecting more than 225 cut motions moved by opposition to meet expenditure during the financial year ending on June 30, 2026. Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented demands for grants in the House for approval. The opposition members severely criticised the performance of the Cabinet Division and said that the total strength of Cabinet of the Prime Minister should not be increased beyond 11 percent of total members of the National Assembly under 18th Constitutional Amendment. Opposition members Alia Kamran, Malik Aamir Dogar, Ali Muhammad, Khawaja Sheraz and others criticised the performance of the Cabinet Division. Khawaja Sheraz said that there is Rs6 billion budget allocation of the National Assembly Secretariat while the allocation of Cabinet is Rs44 billion. He said, 'there is huge budget of Cabinet Division but its performance is zero.' Ali Kamran said that the government affairs run through Cabinet and its strength should not increase beyond 11 percent of the total strength of the National Assembly. She said that the government has crossed the limit by appointing special assistants and advisers. The demands for grants which were presented by the finance minister include, emergency relief and repatriation, atomic energy, Pakistan nuclear regulatory authority, Naya Pakistan Housing Development Authority, Prime Minister's Office (Internal), Prime Minister's Office (public), National Disaster Management Authority, Board Of Investment, Prime Minister's Inspection Commission, Special Technology Zone Authority, National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing Terrorism Authority, Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority, Establishment Division, Federal Public Service Commission, Federal Public Service Commission, National School Of Public Policy, Civil Services Academy, National Security Division, Council Of Common Interests, (Secretariat, Special Investment Facilitation Council Division (SIFCD), Intelligence Bureau Division, development expenditure of Cabinet Division, development expenditure of Board of Investment, development expenditure of Special Technology Zones Authority Division, development expenditure of Establishment Division and capital outlay on development of atomic energy. While winding up the discussion on the cut motions, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said that the size of the federal cabinet is well within the constitutional limit, and the country's economy is showing signs of improvement. He rejected all motions moved by the opposition and defended the performance of the cabinet. Fazal explained that under Article 92(1) of the Constitution, the federal cabinet cannot exceed 11 per cent of the total National Assembly membership. 'The current cabinet has 42 members, which is four less than the allowed limit of 46,' he said. He said that when the present government took office, Pakistan was facing a severe economic crisis and risked default. 'Today, economic indicators are stable, and key sectors are recovering,' he stated. He said that the government has revived the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), introduced tax reforms, and is promoting investment in sectors such as energy and agriculture. 'The energy sector has undergone major reforms, and initiatives in agriculture are effectively addressing long-standing challenges,' he added. Fazal said that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has played a major role in attracting billions of dollars in foreign investment. 'The SIFC was created to remove hurdles in investment and ensure timely project implementation,' he explained. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
G-B presents Rs148.63b budget for FY2025-26
Listen to article Gilgit-Baltistan's government has presented a provincial budget of Rs148.63 billion for the fiscal year 2025-26, including a deficit of Rs6 billion, Express News reported. During the assembly session on Monday, Finance Minister Engineer Muhammad Ismail tabled the budget, which proposes a 10 per cent salary increase for government employees. The budget allocates Rs8.82 billion for non-development expenses, while Rs3.7 billion is earmarked for development projects. The Gilgit-Baltistan budget for financial year 2025-26 with the total outlay of over 148 billion rupees was presented today @FinMinistryPak #RadioPakistan #News — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) June 23, 2025 Additionally, Rs1.1 billion has been proposed for federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects, with Rs400 million specifically set aside for the Prime Minister's programme under PSDP. The government has set a non-tax revenue target of Rs789.2 million for the upcoming fiscal year and proposed Rs2 billion for the wheat subsidy. Speaking on allocations for key sectors, the finance minister said Rs147 million has been allocated for education, Rs125 million for health — including Rs62 million for the Health Endowment Fund. The budget also earmarks Rs35 million for agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, Rs9 million for tourism, and Rs10 million for the information technology sector.
