The Senate resumed its session at the Parliament House in Islamabad today with Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in the chair.

Taking part in the budget discussion, Sardar Shafique Tareen has demanded of the government to increase budgetary allocations for the development of schemes of Balochistan.

He said more funds should be reserved for ongoing development projects in Balochistan as well as for the construction of Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan transmission line.

Haji Hidayatullah Khan commended Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for presenting a balanced budget. He, however, called for enhancing the budget for the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Dinesh Kumar said Balochistan has been ignored in the budget and there is a need to divert more resources to the province to improve the living standard of the people.

Senator Imamuddin Shouqeen proposed that uninterrupted supply of gas and electricity should be ensured to revive industry, which is vital to enhance exports.

He recommended that lossmaking state enterprises should be privatized to reduce burden on the national exchequer.

Lauding the government for presenting the best budget in the prevailing circumstances, Behramand Tangi called for measures to curb electricity theft.

He said employees of the private sector should also be given a salary enhancement. He also demanded of the government to fulfil its commitment it has made with the flood-affected people of Sindh. 

Asad Junejo recommended the government to shift to electric vehicles, which will not only save foreign exchange incurred on petrol and diesel, but also help protect the environment.

Fawzia Arshad criticized the budget as it does not meet the hopes of the people.

She said Pakistan has become the most expensive country in South Asia due to inefficient policies of the government.

Dr Zarqa Suharwardy emphasised on broadening the tax net to strengthen the economy.

Palwasha Khan urged the government to increase the raise in the salaries and pensions of current and retired employees announced in the budget.

Professor Sajid Mir emphasized on improving IT related exports and taking stringent measures to check tax evasion. He said loss-making State Owned Enterprises need to be privatized to avoid drain of funds.

Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan commended the coalition government for reserving sufficient funds for the health, education, communication and infrastructure, IT, energy, and other sectors.

Kamran Murtaza said culprits involved in the incidents of violence on May 9 should be brought to justice on a speedy basis.

Talking about the budget, he said the government should pay attention in bringing Balochistan at par with the rest of the country. He said India is earning huge foreign exchange from the IT sector and we should also promote IT related exports to strengthen Pakistan’s economy.

He urged all the political forces to agree on a charter of economy to steer the country out of current crises.

Kamran Michael said the budget for education should be increased from 60 billion rupees to 200 billion rupees.

Falak Naz said the budget has nothing for the poor and only serves the interests of the affluent class. 

The House will now meet tomorrow at 10:30 a.m.