Budget FY25: PTI to record protest in NA session

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to protest during the National Assembly's session, where the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government set to present its budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.

PTI MNA Ali Muhammad Khan made the announcement Wednesday after the Sunni Ittehad Council's (SIC) meeting to formulate its strategy for the session held at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in the federal capital.

"The Form-47 rulers don't have any right to present the budget," the politician said.

He said that the PTI did not raise the matter of a dialogue with the opponents. The government should further the talks process if it is serious about it, he added.

Ali further stated that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan had taken the message of the party's ally, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Achakzai's message to Imran Khan.

He said that Achakzai had said he could assist in reconciliation talks with the government.

It may be noted that Barrister Gohar on Tuesday announced that the party founder had approved holding talks with the political rivals, but today PTI nominated the PkMAP leader to lead the negotiations via opposition alliance's platform Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen (TTAP).

Earlier today, the SIC huddle, also provisioning a lunch for the parliamentarians, mulled over budget speech, protest tactics and the release of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, the sources added.

The meeting was be attended by Barrister Gohar, NA Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza and PTI leaders including Asad Qaiser, Amir Dogar, Zartaj Gul, Ali and all NA members of the alliance.

Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb is due to unveil the much-awaited Rs18.5 trillion budget today as the government aims to secure a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, according to a The News report.

PPP unhappy

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has expressed reservations over the budgetary proposals finalised by the ruling Nawaz-led party for the FY25.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, PPP Information Secretary Shazia Marri said that the PPP’s parliamentary party held an important session under the chair of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to discuss the budget 2024-25.

The party lawmakers conveyed their reservations to the top leadership, Marri said.

“We are facing difficulties due to the federal government’s attitude towards the PPP,” said Marri, adding that her party would face a difficult situation if farmers are not given relief in the upcoming budget.

"We were hoping that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would be aware of our position," Marri said. She added that the federal government did not meet those demands which were “agreed with the PPP”.

She announced that the PPP parliamentarians will gather, again, in another key session at 2:30 on Wednesday (today) to discuss the federal budget.

To a question, she reiterated that the Bilawal-led party was not going to join the PML-N government’s federal cabinet.