The Budget
By Shahid Rizvi
No one should thought that it would be coming this year, but very surprisingly, there is a budget. Nawaz Sharif has done it!
The financial conditions of the country have stood against all hopes and expectations, and it was generally believed that there would be no budget this year. Naturally, when there is no money, there is no budget. But we are a wonderful nation. We have shown to the world that we can make a budget out of nothing. Although it is made up of all deficits, but we have created one.
It has been pronounced with resounding applause in the assembly that this budget has not imposed new taxes. The electricity, gas, and telephone tariff has not been raised. The reason for not increasing the tariff is not the goodwill of the government, there are two reasons, first the public has been left with no money in their pockets by the only one Atta crisis. The other reason emanating from it is the fear of the government that a very minimum increase will make room for another crisis and the people will come out on the streets. That will sound like the end of the Nawaz government.
A glance on the budget will show that there is nothing to spend on development schemes, nothing to give to the provinces, no money for education, and facility for technological education, no potable water, not a single penny to end the load shedding, even they have to cut down the expenses of their prodigious son-the administration. The debt servicing eats up 45% of GDP. The principal amounts of debts will be repaid by selling the household utensils of Pakistan to foreign consortia. The privatization commission is doing the extra mile to sell units as soon as possible. The sick units which are in fact dead units, are being sold at random prices for collecting the money.
The government has gone out of its senses because the units sold out will be a further burden to the economy as there is no production, no market and no scope. The market has been totally destroyed. In its anxiety to collect money, it has brought to books most of the active market organizations. The Ehtesab is working nuisance. Some are protected, and others chosen for resurrection. The defense budget by 200 crores with an excuse that the inflation rate has not been taken into account. Was there inflation rate taken into account in other cases?
And the scenes on the streets are not good either. Prices are skyrocketing. Commodities are becoming scarce. Always there is a rumor for the shortage of one or the other commodity. The prices of drugs and medicines and especially life-saving drugs are out of the reach of the common man. Health, sanitation, and cleanliness of the city is in a deplorable condition. The law and order situation is horrible to say the least. Killing, torture, firing, and kidnapping are not sparing even innocent men, women, and children.
We are bankrupt in all our policies, internal, external, industrial, agricultural, education, and all. In our foreign policy, we are at war with Russia and India. We are supporting extremist Taliban forces for no purpose and no gain. Can anyone tell what gains we have obtained by supporting them? We have made every effort to be sure that Afghanistan remains a sore neighbor forever. Are we trying to impose Islam there? What a funny idea.
It is our nice foreign policy that we are no more having warm relations with our old friend China.
Some religious circles have now demanded that we should have diplomatic relations with Israel. Strange enough these circles now forward the argument that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) gave recognition to Jews “Haisa” of Madina. The whole half-century, these religious lobbies were tooth and nail fighting against the recognition of Israel, why did not any consider the argument earlier? There are a shameful lot of ours.
Israel was created on the basis of religious nationhood. The state of Israel was created and Jews from all over the world were brought to settle there. Despite its religious color, it is a democratic state. Its existence owes to America. Pakistan was also created on the same foundations. Contrary to Israel, we are in shambles. All the more, we are afraid of aggression from Israel. The only reason is that Israel has no traitors and no internal enemies. We are proud to have all of them!
