ISLAMABAD: Denouncing the federal budget 2019-20, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said it was an International Monetary Fund (IMF)-dictated budget.

“We reject the budget and we will not let the government run if it is not amended,” Shahbaz Sharif said this while opening up a discussion on the budget in the National Assembly in Islamabad. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had claimed of turning around the economy and bringing revolution in the lives of people but it failed to deliver.

He said the most important elements such as employment generation, reduction in inflation, GDP growth, bolstering exports and ensuring socio-economic justice were missing in the budget. 

“The government has imposed 70 percent indirect taxes in the budget for next fiscal year which will burden the common man,” he said alleging that the government’s policies had resulted in closure of factories and industries which had rendered millions of people jobless.

Agreeing to sign a charter of economy with the government, the leader of opposition said collective efforts were required to steer the country out of economic challenges.

Recalling the performance of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shahbaz Sharif said their government addressed enormous challenges such as that of load shedding and terrorism and achieved growth rate of 5.8 percent and brought the inflation to the record 3 percent.

On a point of order, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari demanded that the production orders of the detained elected representatives including former President Asif Ali Zardari be issued so that they could participate in the budget session.

The house also offered Fateha for the departed soul of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.