ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday approved four demands for grants of the Interior Division amounting to more than Rs74.35 billion, while rejecting 123 cut motions moved by the opposition during the budget session.
The session was chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, during which the House began consideration of 10 demands for grants for three ministries with a combined value exceeding Rs1.242 trillion.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented four demands for grants of the Interior Division worth more than Rs349 billion for approval. The opposition tabled 123 cut motions against the proposed allocations.
Following a debate on the motions, the treasury benches used their majority to approve four Interior Division grant demands worth over Rs74.35 billion, while all opposition cut motions were rejected.
The House also took up three demands for grants of the National Food Security Division amounting to more than Rs33.7 billion. The opposition submitted 112 cut motions against the food security allocations, and debate on those proposals continued.
During the discussion, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said his party had consistently advocated national unity and the rule of law.
“We are not schoolchildren; we must rise above personal egos and do something for the country,” he said, adding that PTI had extended a hand for political engagement and expected a positive response from the government.
He said Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan had repeatedly spoken about the need for the rule of law and recalled that Mahmood Khan Achakzai had even shaken hands with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Parliament as a gesture of goodwill.
Barrister Gohar alleged that human rights had been violated over the past four years and referred to the convictions of PTI leaders, including Yasmin Rashid and Ejaz Chaudhry.
He also said the government had promised amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure but had yet to introduce the proposed reforms, adding, “Let the dust of May 9 settle.”
Responding to the criticism, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said he had personally approached Barrister Gohar on several occasions to discuss legal reforms.
He told the House that a comprehensive draft of amendments to criminal laws had already been introduced in the National Assembly and was currently under review by the relevant standing committee.
Commenting on the convictions of PTI leaders, Tarar said the judgments had been delivered by the courts and that the government had no role in the judicial decisions.
