CM Murad Presents Rs1.714 Trillion 'Tax-Free' Sindh Budget.

KARACHI -- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Finance, tabled Rs1.714 trillion budget with special focus on social protection and economic sustainability initiatives for the next financial year 2022-23 amid rumpus and brawl between opposition and treasury members. CM Murad presented 10th budget of the provincial government consecutively as he was interrupted by PTI lawmakers who had gathered around him and chanted slogans against his PPP party. In his speech, Syed Murad Ali Shah announced package for the poor of the province. He also announced 15 percent increase in salaries of provincial government employees from 1st July this year by merging all the adhoc relief allowances from 2016 to 2021 in basic pay and introducing new and revised pay scale.

He announced that disparity allowance at the rate of 33 percent of basic pay will be paid to provincial government employees from PBS-1 to BPS- 16 and 30 percent to the employees from PBS-17 and above.

He also announced five percent increase in pensions of retired employees.

Syed Murad Ali Shah announced up gradation of post of police constables from BPS-5 to BPS-7.

He said that an amount 332.165 billion rupees has been earmarked for annual development programme 2022-23 which over one hundred billion rupees more than amount of the outgoing financial year

'For the second consecutive year, we are not proposing any new tax while a special moratorium has been proposed on collection of cotton fee, professional tax and entertainment duty,,' he said. He further proposed exemption on levy of Sindh Infrastructure Development Cess for export oriented units in order to minimize the cost of doing business.

Ruckus in Assembly

The provincial Assembly witnessed uproar during the budget session as the lawmakers belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Peoples Party including the female members indulged into a physical brawl. It all started when the PTI legislators gathered in front of Speaker's rostrum and began chanting slogans against what they called imported budget. They chanted 'Imported Hukumat Na Manzoor' (Imported Government is not acceptable) and 'Imported Budget Na Manzoor' (Imported Budget is not acceptable) slogans.

The PTI members kept shouting the slogans to interrupt Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. The PTI lawmakers were also warned by Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari for filming in the Assembly. 'Use of mobile phones is not allowed in the house. I warn (of taking action) you guys not to use mobile phones' the Deputy Speaker repeatedly told to the protesting members.

The situation took ugly turn when PPP members including Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Imdad Pitafi and Mumtaz Jakhrani asked the PTI lawmakers to move away from the Chief Minister's seat. Mumtaz Jakhrani...