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Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
PPP distances itself from budget prep
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has rejected the federal budget and voiced strong reservations over the Punjab government's alleged disregard of the party in the budget-making process, sparking a war of words between PPP's Hassan Murtaza and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari. Speaking at a press conference at the PPP Model Town Secretariat, Hassan Murtaza, General Secretary of PPP Central Punjab, said the party was neither consulted nor were its suggestions included in the budget. "The people will receive no relief from either the federal or the expected Punjab budget," he said, criticising the government's economic policies and claiming that the region's peace was being threatened by a 'Modi-style' mind-set. Murtaza also used the occasion to launch a scathing critique of international powers, particularly the US and Israel, and questioned the credibility of global institutions like the United Nations. "The Muslim Ummah is being forced to recite verses of jihad; this is the same strategy Modi used against Pakistan," he said, adding that Pakistan must strengthen its economy as much as its defense. He lambasted the imposition of heavy taxes on agriculture, calling it a death knell for farmers. "From petrol to fertilisers and seeds, everything has been taxed. And yet, wheat is being sold cheap while sugarcane is purchased on credit and sugar is sold in cash," he said. Murtaza accused the Punjab government of operating a sugar mill mafia and claimed that rose water worth Rs320 million was sprayed on Lahore's roads while basic facilities remained unavailable to the poor. He also criticised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for allegedly misusing public funds for personal branding. "Maryam Nawaz is so obsessed with self-promotion that even dustbins carry her picture. But she can't include the Prime Minister, her own uncle, in those images," he said. Hitting back at the provincial government's performance, he said it had failed to deliver during its 16-month tenure. "If you're putting your face on dustbins, then own up to the inflation too," he remarked. He also condemned the recent imposition of 18% tax on solar panels and said future taxes on essentials like oxygen would be the logical next step if such policies continued. Murtaza criticised the 10% salary hike for government employees, terming it insufficient and demanded a 50% increase instead. He also denounced what he called the humiliation of medical professionals and accused the government of pushing various departments to protest at Charing Cross rather than enabling them to serve in offices. While reiterating the PPP's commitment to institutional reform, Murtaza said his party was ready to work with the government to fix the system but would not support exploitative policies. He also opposed the proposed advertising bill and urged Pakistan to align itself more strongly with neighbouring Iran. In a sharp rebuttal, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari dismissed Murtaza's remarks, saying, "A person who couldn't even win his own seat shouldn't be lecturing us." She claimed that in private gatherings, even Murtaza admitted that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's governance was the real reason PPP lost ground in Punjab. "Maryam Nawaz is not just making promises, she is fulfilling them. She's delivering real relief to people and translating dreams into reality," Bukhari said. Referring to Murtaza's recent visit to Sambrial, she said he had witnessed the government's work firsthand. Bukhari further slammed the PPP leader for rejecting a budget that hadn't even been presented. "This shows the state of your political judgment," she added. She emphasised that governments with vision can show results even in 16 months, while those lacking direction fail even after 16 years.
Express Tribune
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Kaira urges political reconciliation, calls for ‘forgive and forget' policy
Listen to article Amid a celebratory national mood following Pakistan's military success against India at the borders, senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, without naming PTI, said it was high time to bridge the political divide. He advised Khan's party to make amends and called on the government to adopt a policy of forgiveness. At the same press conference, PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Syed Hasan Murtaza, taking a swipe at Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari for crediting Nawaz Sharif with war planning, said that 'at least one should lie within some limits'. He said repeated lies, if not publicly exposed, begin to sound like the truth. Murtaza asserted that the real credit for making Pakistan's defence invincible belonged to the PPP leadership. 'If there's any one party that had a role in strengthening Pakistan's defence — from signing the MoU for the JF-17 to building heavy industries, from weapons to tanks, planes to missiles — it's the PPP,' he said. He credited both the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the late Benazir Bhutto, claiming that Bhutto launched Pakistan's atomic programme, a decision that ultimately cost him his life. 'Anyone can blow up a bomb and take credit for it.' Murtaza asserted that other parties could at best take credit for merely continuing the defence programmes initiated by PPP governments. "Others should try to lay claims to their achievement by posting photos," he added. He also took a jibe at Rana Sanaullah for "falsely claiming that the war was over on May 7'. He said that if the prime minister claims credit for downing six planes, then he should also take responsibility for the seventh — the "Adiala aircraft," which he described as a creation of India's Modi and Israel's Netanyahu. Earlier, while commenting on the Indo-Pak conflict, Qamar Zaman Kaira, a member of the PPP central executive committee, said that despite India's jingoism, it would eventually have to come to the negotiating table. He stressed that lasting peace in the region is not possible without resolving the Kashmir issue. 'India should implement its plebiscite promise to the Kashmiri nation and leadership,' he said, adding that PPP wants the matter settled through negotiations. Addressing the media at the residence of PPP Central Punjab Deputy General Secretary Usman Malik — alongside Syed Hasan Murtaza, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed and Chaudhry Aslam Gul — Kaira said that the PPP united a broken country. He said: "Bhutto laid the foundation of a strong defence system and heavy chemical complex. JF-17 Thunder is being built in this HMC. Bibi Shaheed brought missile technology to Pakistan. Asif Zardari revived Pak-China friendship as president." He added that China now supports Pakistan both financially and defensively: "The work started by Bhutto Shaheed was completed by Asif Zardari, while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as foreign minister, fought for Pakistan's cause like his grandfather and mother." The former federal minister stated that despite being a major victim of terrorism, "we want to cooperate in ending it." He said, "This is not a war of credit. Bhutto had created a broken country and a defeated nation. Instead of erasing someone's line, I should follow my own line." Kaira stressed that, to create a lasting sense of unity, "the country's political parties, alluding to PTI, should do introspection and seek forgiveness, and the government and institutions should also adopt a policy of forgiveness'.
