ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has called a meeting of parliamentary groups of parties in the ruling coalition led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). – or mini-budget as the opposition called it – in the National Assembly on the same day.
According to the National Assembly’s agenda for Thursday, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin will introduce a bill to amend certain laws related to taxes and duties. [the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021],
NA agenda shows bill will not pass today
The parliamentary party meeting of the ruling coalition will be held at 2 pm in the Parliament House. Prime Minister Khan will be in the chair.
According to the agenda of the lower house, the bill will be introduced on Thursday itself, not passed.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary had said after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday that a separate cabinet meeting would be held on the issue of mini budget, in which all government colleagues would be taken into confidence.
As the opposition has already vowed to stall the passage of the bill, fireworks are expected during the NA session. The opposition has claimed that this bill will increase inflation further and the problems of the people will increase further.
Two bills are pending approval from Parliament without which the revival of the IMF program would not be possible.
A senior official said the cabinet could not consider the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) autonomy bill on Tuesday as the law minister was not present in the meeting. Therefore, the work finalized by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Affairs could not be considered for the approval of the Cabinet. Secondly, the Tax Laws (Fourth) Amendment Bill was withdrawn as the government could not respond when the CPI-based inflation for November was already at 11.53 per cent.
Published in Dawn, December 30, 2021