PESHAWAR: The traders and politicians claimed on Sunday that federal budget disappointed people, who were already battered by price hike.

Awami National Party central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Qaumi Watan Party provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao and Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran president Malik Meher Ilahi in their separate statements said that government did not announce any relief for the people, who suffered owing to lockdown.

They urged government to take effective steps to control increasing prices of essential commodities and continuous crisis of petrol.

Mr Hussain said that budget was dictated by International Monetary Fund (IMF) and had no relief for common people. He said that last year, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had blamed successive governments for falling economy of the country and in 2020 it held coronavirus responsible for the economic issues.

Demand immediate steps to control price hike, petrol crisis

He said that government employees and pensioners were totally ignored in the budget. He said that federal government did not allocate sufficient funds for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly for tribal districts so provincial government would be unable to achieve its targets.

Similarly, QWP leader Sikandar Sherpao said that government failed to fulfil its commitments rather further added to miseries of people.

He said that petroleum products were available at the lowest price in rest of the world but in Pakistan the commodity was sold in black owing to non-availability.

He said that it was an anti-people budget. He dismissed the impression that the budget was tax-free.

He said that government did not give any incentives to the industrialists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that government would present mini-budget and seek loans from the banks to bridge the budget deficit.

Sikandar Sherpao said that country’s foreign debt burden had increased manifold in the PTI government. He said that economy was on the verge of collapse owing to the flawed policies of the rulers.

Meanwhile, traders’ bodies held a meeting with Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran president Malik Meher Ilahi in the chair that reviewed the budget.

The office-bearers of different unions of traders including Mujeebur Rehman of Tajir Ittehad Peshawar Cantonment said that white collar people were the worst affected by the economic crisis but government did not pay them any heed.

The traders rejected the CNIC condition for the purchase of goods up to Rs100,000 and urged government to abolish the condition.

They said that government was unable to implement its SOPs for containing Covid-19 pandemic and planning to shut markets randomly. They also objected to the points of sales set by Federal Board of Revenue and delay in reforms in the FBR, saying t the policy of returns and refunds was unclear.

The traders also expressed concerns over the continuous devaluation of Pakistani currency against dollar and urged government to take prompt steps to control the growing price hike and economic instability in the country. They also demanded opening of marriage halls with SOPs.

Likewise, All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also rejected the federal budget and announced to launch agitation against the government if its demands were not met immediately.

According to a statement, the decision was taken in a meeting of the union executive body held here with Haji Mohammad Iqbal in the chair.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2020