ISLAMABAD (APP): Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Sunday urged the House not to support the Chairman Senate Salaries, Allowance and Privileges Bill passed by the Senate recently as the country could not afford such incentives in the prevailing economic situation.
Speaking in the National Assembly after passage of federal budget for fiscal year 2023-24, the minister said, he has great respect for senators and the Senate as he had started his political career from the Senate. However, the people and business community are in immense difficulties due to the prevailing financial crisis, he said.
He said the salary of MNA stood at Rs 168,000 per month which was lower than a federal secretary.
He said such privilege in the current financial circumstance could not be afforded. Lauding the Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and his entire finance teams, he said that a balanced budget was presented despite of critical situation.
He expressed the hope that a new era of economic stability would start soon. The minister also clarified that neither the government was bearing expenditure nor giving any special facility for members of the National Assembly for performing Hajj. Even ordinary people were also part of the special flight to carry pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, he added.
Only Imran responsible for all May 9 tragic incidents: Kh Asif: Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that the mastermind, planner and inventor of the May-9 incident was only Imran Khan. Addressing a dinner reception, given in his honour by members of the Cantt Board Sialkot, he regretted that it was former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman who challenged the state writ and the state institutions. He said the state is like a mother to its citizens, but this person ended that relationship in lust for power.
He said the lesson he (Imran Khan) imparted to his party activists, and the planning he done, resulted in attacks on memorials of martyrs and military installations and the defense assets, saying that political workers were incited by their leader to attack the state and its institutions.
Kh Asif said what happened on May 9, no one should doubt that its mastermind, planner and its creator was the PTI chairman alone. He said that during the last 14 months, this person (Imran Khan) did not even once ask to meet or sit down with politicians to solve the national problems. He only expressed his desire to talk to the military leadership.
The defence minister said Pakistan Army is the guarantor of country’s defence and integrity. He said that power was taken away from politicians many times in the past; power was taken away from Nawaz Sharif three times, while Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged, but no one challenged the state writ. Rather, they waited for elections for years and came to power with the power of vote, he added.
Kh Asif said this person (Imran Khan) did not speak a single truth before power, during power and after getting power. He said that today, the whole of Pakistan was paying the price of this person’s wrong decisions.
If this person had not resigned from the assemblies, and not dissolved the KP and Punjab Assemblies, neither he nor his party would have confronted the current challenges. He said “we are thankful to Allah for honoring us and giving us the government for the last 14 months. “We are trying to fix the economic and moral ruins that we inherited,” he added.
Khawaja Asif opposes Chairman Senate Salaries, Allowance, Privileges Bill
