Resuming general budget discussions on the fifth day in the National Assembly, Dr. Zulfikar Ali Bhatti of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stressed the need to develop rural areas and strengthen the agricultural sector.
He proposed the establishment of Special Agriculture Zones nationwide, equipped with all necessary facilities to enhance agricultural productivity.
He also advocated for providing incentives to farmers. Additionally, he called for the creation of IT facilitation centers in rural regions and the implementation of skill development programs for youth, particularly in these areas, to promote self-sufficiency.
Fateh Ullah Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) strongly denounced Israel’s aggression against Iran. Drawing attention to the suffering of flood victims in his constituency, he urged the government to provide compensation to those affected.
Awais Haider Jhakar of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) highlighted the challenges faced by farmers and criticized government policies that have contributed to a decline in agricultural production.
Sanjay Parwani of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) criticized the government for failing to allocate what he described as even a single penny for the country’s churches and temples in the 2025-26 federal budget.
Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) urged the Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah to issue a ruling demanding strict punishment for the miscreants involved in the attempted abduction of Maulana Fazl ur Rehman’s son and called for the immediate arrest of those responsible.
Zulfiqar Ali Behan of the Pakistan People’s Party called for the imposition of an agricultural emergency in the country and the removal of taxes on fertilizers to boost agricultural production. He also urged the establishment of a university in Naushahro Feroze.
Chaudhry Mubeen Arif Jatt of SIC called for the immediate withdrawal of the proposed 18 percent GST on solar panels. He also highlighted the hardships faced by farmers, noting that their produce is being sold at prices lower than their production costs. Chaudhry Riaz Ul Haq of PML-N demanded a review of the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) excessive powers and emphasized the need to lower fertilizer prices.
Ejaz Hussain Jakhrani of the PPP said that the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) is providing excellent services in liver transplantation. He also stated that the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway is a vital need of the people and urged the authorities to pay attention to the project.
MNA Sohail Sultan said that it is the government’s duty to provide relief to the people. He urged the government to increase the monthly income of laborers and suggested including youth programs in the current budget.
Parliamentary Secretary Sajid Mehdi lauded the armed forces and their chiefs for performing outstanding performance against the Indian aggression against Pakistan.
He applauded the former Prime Ministers Zulifqar Ali Bhutto (Late) and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in their efforts to achieve the honor of first atomic power in muslims worlds.
He said that Pakistan is far behind in modern agriculture, lamenting that even we cannot produce is seed of any crop. He linked the development of the country with agriculture sector, adding, we cannot progress unless we develop agri sector.
“Our allocation is much less for research sector” he said and requested the authorities concerned to pay special focus on the agriculture and live stock sectors. “Cotton is major source of economy of any country and Pakistan has much exposure in this crop but unfortunately it is being neglected”.
He said that a small relief was given to farmers in shape of solar power but the government imposed tax on this facility which is injustice. He demanded to tax free the pesticides and fertilizer.
Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah of SIC underscored the importance of offering targeted incentives to empower the nation’s youth. agenices
