Latest news with #PML-N-led
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
NA urged to prioritise economic legislation
PML-N-led coalition government in the Centre now has 229 members in the NA. PHOTO: APP In a significant move aimed at spurring private sector growth, the Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has written a letter to the speaker of the National Assembly, urging parliament to declare the ongoing fiscal year as the "Year of Economic Legislation." PBF President Khawaja Mehboobur Rehman emphasised that sustainable private sector growth was only possible when parliament stood firm with the business community. He expressed hope that the speaker would play an active role in positioning the legislative branch as a true economic partner. "It is imperative that parliament leads the way in crafting legislation that binds banks to offer fair and accessible credit to the SME and startup sectors," he said. "For too long, the banking industry has operated on its own terms, refusing to extend credit to small businesses while focusing almost exclusively on lending to the government, which is an easier route." Highlighting the deep-rooted financial access issues, particularly in Balochistan, the PBF pointed to the shocking reality that many businesses in the province were effectively excluded from the credit system. The forum also raised alarm over Sections 37AA and 37B of the Finance Act, demanding their immediate revision. Mehboobur Rehman warned that those measures would cripple businesses, accelerate unemployment and damage investor confidence. The PBF strongly condemned the extraordinary powers granted to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials, unjust treatment of the business community and policy decisions made without business consultation. It demanded immediate withdrawal of those measures and a halt to economic victimisation of the business community.
Express Tribune
10-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
NA panel okays Civil Servants Act tweaks
PML-N-led coalition government in the Centre now has 229 members in the NA. PHOTO: APP The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Thursday approved the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2024 with a majority vote. The bill proposes several provisions, including mandatory asset declaration for government employees, expediting the right-sizing process, and abolition of redundant departments. As per the amendment bill, all government employees will be required to declare their assets. The federal government is empowered to abolish or merge departments that are either dormant or have become a financial burden. The bill also proposed that redundant employees be retrenched after offering them a financial package instead of placing them in a surplus pool. The PBS1-5 jobs will be outsourced to the private sector to reduce pension bills. The bill also recommends age relaxation for recruitment of civil servants. Young officers may be given up to 10 years of age relaxation for new appointments. Various members expressed concerns regarding the proposed amendments during the meeting. PML-N leader Tahira Aurangzeb argued that laying off employees from grades 1 to 5 would lead to an increase in crime.
Express Tribune
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Opp MPAs protest ouster from Punjab House committees
Opposition lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly on Monday staged a vociferous protest outside the provincial legislature after four of their members were removed from standing committee chairmanships through no-confidence motions. The four opposition MPAs – Ansar Iqbal (under suspension), who was chairperson of the Standing Committee on Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education; Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal (under suspension), chairperson of the Standing Committee on Management and Professional Development; Saima Kanwal (under suspension), chairperson of the Standing Committee on Special Education and Muhammad Ahsan Ali, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Colonies – were officially removed from their posts. The Punjab Assembly adopted the respective motions for their ouster. The decisions were finalised during meetings of the respective standing committees held on Monday, where the motions for removal were discussed and voted on. As proceedings began in the House, treasury lawmakers welcomed the removals, applauding the move as a necessary corrective. Government legislators framed the action as a step toward reinforcing parliamentary decorum and curbing the opposition's disrespectful and disruptive conduct. PML-N MPA Amjad Ali Javed said that Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan had gone out of his way to accommodate the opposition, despite repeated provocations. "The speaker has upheld democratic traditions in the House traditions that had long been missing," he said. Outside the assembly building, Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar condemned the dismissals and said the House was being run not in accordance with the law but at the whim of a single family. He questioned the rationale behind suspending only 26 MPAs over their protest during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's speech. "Why only 26? We all protested. We all should have been suspended," he said. Bhachar declared that the opposition would not remain silent and vowed to raise their voice on every available forum against what he termed "this injustice". He also cast doubt on the neutrality of the speaker, accusing him of running the House in a partisan manner, in violation of established rules. Opposition lawmakers gathered outside the assembly building, chanting slogans against the PML-N-led government and decrying what they described as undemocratic conduct.
Express Tribune
26-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Bilawal explains why PPP supports federal budget
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday outlined his party's reasons for supporting the PML-N-led ruling coalition's second budget, saying key amendments were made based on PPP's input. Addressing the National Assembly ahead of the budget's passage, Bilawal explained why the PPP Parliamentarians – a major coalition partner – had decided to back the finance bill, despite earlier objections. The PPP's support comes just days after it strongly criticized the federal budget, accusing the government of discriminating against Sindh and threatening to boycott the approval process. A similar standoff occurred last year between the PPP and the PML-N, which the PTI had described as a "fixed fight" meant to deflect public scrutiny. Nevertheless, things remained largely calm between the PPP and the PML-N during this year's budget session. In his speech, Bilawal noted that the government had increased funding for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), a welfare scheme introduced by his mother & former premier Benazir Bhutto, by 20 per cent. The PPP leader criticized the previous PTI government for attempting to undermine BISP in every budget and commended the incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for consistently increasing its funding since assuming office. The PPP chairman further noted that the government raised the income threshold for tax exemption from Rs600,000 to Rs1.2 million annually. Additionally, he highlighted that the tax on solar panels was reduced from 18 per cent to 10 per cent following objections raised by PPP members. Bilawal also welcomed the decision to curtail the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)'s arrest powers. Under the new policy, arrests in tax cases can now only be made in instances of proven fraud and not at the inquiry stage. Moreover, such offences have been declared bailable. "These are the reasons why the PPP is supporting this budget," he said. Earlier, the PPP chairman chaired a meeting of PPP parliamentary party, attended by all PPP lawmakers. During the session, PPP members briefed Bilawal on their proposals regarding the federal budget. He was also informed about the amendments incorporated into the budget as a result of PPP's input. Bilawal was given a detailed briefing on the acceptance of the party's demand for a 20% increase in the budget of the BISP program, a party statement said, adding he was also apprised that the tax on solar panels has been slashed by nearly 50% in response to PPP's consistent advocacy. Bilawal was also informed about how the government withdrew the controversial amendments related to FBR's powers to arrest owing to PPP's strong reservations. On PPP's suggestion, the PPP lawmakers were told that the federal budget now includes a 10% increase in government salaries and a 7% rise in pensions. Moreover, PPP legislators were briefed that the party secured complete income tax exemption for salaried individuals earning up to Rs100,000 per month. Another key achievement highlighted during the briefing was the restoration of budgetary allocations for universities in Sindh following PPP's demand.
Express Tribune
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PPP straddles the fence on ally's hybrid model claims
Listen to article The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), once a fierce critic of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for claiming to be "on the same page" with the establishment, now finds itself in a rather awkward silence after its key ally in the ruling alliance not only admitted to the existence of a hybrid model but appeared to wear the newfound power-sharing arrangement with the military as a badge of honour. The recent confession by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif – about what has long been an open secret – has laid bare an uncomfortable truth: the PML-N-led government is now openly conceding to operating under a power-sharing arrangement with the military. Asif not only just lifted the curtain but drew it wide open, calling the current setup "exemplary". What raised more than a few eyebrows was Asif's thinly veiled dig at his own party leader Nawaz Sharif. He even went on to say that Sharif's failure to implement such a hybrid model in the 1990s led to his early political exits – twice. The remark effectively undercuts Nawaz Sharif's oft-repeated claim that he was shown the door for "serving the country", making his once-defiant slogan "Mujhe Kyun Nikala" (why was I removed?) ring hollow. The PPP, which once rode the moral high horse in its opposition to military interference in civilian rule, now seems to have bitten its tongue. Its leaders, who once fired on all cylinders against PTI's so-called hybrid rule, suddenly appear to be walking on eggshells. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari not only coined the term "puppet PM" for Imran Khan but later wore that verbal jab as a political trophy, priding in having popularised the phrase during the waning days of the PTI government. Ironically, the PPP, formerly the loudest critic of the hybrid model, now appears at a loss for words about a system they themselves are actively part of. When asked to comment on Khawaja Asif's remarks, Chaudhry Manzoor, a PPP leader from Punjab, deflected, saying the question should instead be directed to the PML-N. When it was pointed out that the PPP had been vocally critical of such arrangements in the past, and now that its ally has openly admitted to it – thus making PPP complicit – he responded, "Unfortunately, I have neither listened to the interview nor do I have any knowledge about it". Senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, when approached for comment, questioned whether anything Khawaja Asif said was actually new. "Wasn't this known to everyone all along?" he asked. When queried whether the PPP was now comfortable being part of a hybrid model, Kaira said he could not speak on behalf of the party and would need to consult the leadership to clarify their position. He also dodged the question regarding the PPP's historical criticism of hybrid arrangements, saying that only the party could take an official stance. Attempts to reach the party's Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan and PPP leader from Sindh, Shazia Marri, for comments were unsuccessful.
