Pakistan's Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday vowed to not let the Imran Khan-led ruling government pass an "anti-people budget".
In a statement, Shehbaz said that he would resist getting the budget approved because it is "against the public interest", according to Geo News.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president also said that he has directed the party's economic advisory to hold a pre-budget seminar so that the people can understand the reality of the economy.
"Economists will tell the nation the reality of the economy in the pre-budget seminar. The masses are paying the price of the government's economic manipulation every day due to inflation," said Shehbaz.
On Monday, Shehbaz had hosted a dinner reception in which he had invited leaders from the opposition parties. However, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari did not attend the meeting.
"The economic situation of the country is not good as the government has failed miserably in every field," Shehbaz had said while addressing the gathering earlier this week, reported The Express Tribune.
"It is necessary to work together against the incumbent government for the sake of national interest otherwise the people will have to face many difficulties in the budget. Yes, the government should be given a tough time in the budget session. It is taking political revenge in the name of accountability," he added.
Meanwhile, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had lied about the gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which even the ruling party's own representatives are not ready to accept, Geo News reported.
The government had estimated a GDP growth of 3.94 per cent for the outgoing year, after earlier estimating 2.1 per cent for 2020-21. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, on the other hand, had predicted the GDP growth in the range of 1.5 per cent for the current fiscal year.
Pakistan's economy is in dire condition and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further affected the economic growth. The World Bank recently set tough conditions for USD 1.5 billion lendings such as an increase in electricity rates, introduction of new power and tax policies, putting the Imran Khan-led government in a tight spot that is already seeking a review of the IMF deal.
Earlier this month, inflation in Pakistan skyrocketed to over 11 per cent amid a surge in food prices amid the Ministry of Finance's failure to give a realistic and professional assessment of the increasing prices in its monthly reports.
( With inputs from ANI )
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