ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, who is already a rare visitor to the lower house as a member, skipped the budget session on Friday.
The the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government unveiled its 5th federal budget with Rs4.75tr outlay in the National Assembly.
Other senior leadership of PTI, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Jehangir Khan Tareen, Asad Umar, Shafqat Mahmood and Dr Shireeen Mazari, attended the NA session.
PTI’s Central Media Department head Iftikhar Durrani had confirmed on Thursday that Imran would not attend Friday’s sitting of the National Assembly.
“The PTI has so far not planned any protest during the budget speech of the finance minister,” said Durrani who was a participant in a meeting held at Bani Gala on Thursday under the PTI chair to finalise party’s strategy on the finical bill 2017-18.
“The PTI will hear the speech of the finance minister and it has been decided that Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar would respond to the speech in parliament soon before the session is adjourned,” Durrani had told the media.
“The PML-N government is painting a rosy picture despite the fact that country’s exports have decreased with the passage of time and there is a downfall in services and production industry. The government has failed to identify how to broaden the tax base,” he added.
