PoK objects to 'interference' from Imran Khan-led govt in budget 2021-22

The Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Cabinet reportedly did not approve the presentation of the budget 2021-22 due to interference by the Imran Khan-led federal government, Geo News reported on Thursday.

As per reports, the budget by Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was not presented for the fiscal year 2021-22 by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government on Wednesday.

Earlier, the PoK cabinet, which met in the state capital Wednesday afternoon with Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider in the chair, could not give formal approval to the budget summary for onward moving to the floor of the House. The scheduled budget session was thus discontinued without any reason provided during the session.

Haider said that billions of rupees are being squandered by stopping projects approved in the last budget and objected to a fixed tax on a mega energy project, calling it "a robbery" of PoK's rights, reported Geo News

He also said that the federation gave Rs 5 billion from the PoK budget to the Minister for Kashmir Affairs, which will be distributed among PTI candidates in the upcoming elections.

This year is the last budget of the incumbent PML-N-led PoK government. It is completing its current five-year constitutional term on July 24. The next government will be formed after the general elections on July 25.

Meanwhile, Pakistan recently passed its own budget that has created a furore. Despite the much-hyped federal budget, several people have expressed dissatisfaction with the increase in the salaries of government employees approved by the federal budget.

Former Prime Minister and PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday said that the national budget for FY 2021-22 is 'fake' and warned Pakistani people about provisions of new taxes worth Rs 343 billion.

"The budget is based on lies. It is a fake budget and the government will gut the people to complete its targets," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )

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