Farooq Sattar demands relief for public in budget 2020-21 amid COVID-19 pandemic

KARACHI: Head of the MQM-Organisation Restoration Committee Farooq Sattar on Wednesday presented a shadow federal budget, saying the country’s economy had already sunk before the coronavirus pandemic had even hit the country.

Sattar, addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club Wednesday said, “We present the shadow budget every year in which we make budget suggestions to the federal government to include them.”

He added that the country was currently in an economic crisis and if the government presented an IMF budget the whole nation would take to the streets. “The government should provide relief to the people who are badly affected due to the coronavirus and the lockdown,” Sattar said.

He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan himself had said that the next two months would be tough for the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sattar held PM Imran and his cabinet responsible for the worst economic situation of the country. “There is a huge difference and confrontation among the Centre and provinces on various issues even during the coronavirus crisis and the federal government has been preparing the budget,” he said, claiming that the federal and provincial governments were moving in different directions.

“No National Financial Commission award has come in the past 10 years. No meeting of the Council of Common Interests was held in this regard.” Sattar said, adding that Asad Umar had announced that electricity bills for two months would be waived, but the K-Electric and the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company did not waive bills and instead, were sending expensive bills to residents.

He added there was no benefit to the people in reducing the price of petrol as it was not being supplied in ample amounts in the country.