ISLAMABAD - The federal government on Wednesday tabled the “controversial” money bill in the Senate for the revival of crucial funding of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avert economic default amid severe protest of the opposition benches. Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar introduced the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023 in a hurriedly called sitting of the house to fulfill the requirement of Article 73 of the Constitution. The bill that has been dubbed as “mini-budget” seeks to amend certain laws to increase taxes and duties. The opposition PTI lawmakers interrupted the finance minister when he was moving the bill and gathered around the main dais of the chairman Senate. They tore apart copies of the agenda to register their protest and tossed the same into the air. The sergeants-atarms had to intervene and they gathered around the seat of finance minister Senator Dar, who is also the leader of the house as well, to avert any untoward situation. The opposition senators raised slogans of “imported government unacceptable, PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) unacceptable and anti-people budget unacceptable.” Before launching the protest, Leader of the Opposition Dr Shahzad Waseem sought from the chair to give him a floor what he said that he wanted to speak on the anti-people budget. The bill is being seen by the opposition as a major source of another wave of inflation. The finance minister also moved a motion in the house that the Senate may make recommendations to the National Assembly on the money bill. Under the Constitution, the upper house of the parliament has no powers on the money bill and it can only give recommendations to the lower house, which are not binding on the latter. The chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani ruled that the members should submit their proposals to make recommendations on the money bill to the Senate Secretariat till today morning.
President summons NA, Senate sessions on Wednesday