Lawmakers address 'empty seats' on 2nd day of budget debate.

ISLAMABAD -- Lack of interest by lawmakers on Tuesday marred the National Assembly's proceedings as only four lawmakers took part in the general discussion on the federal budget on the second day as Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf could not run the house even for two hours despite giving free time to members to deliver speeches.

Like the opening day of budget debate, most lawmakers made speeches to empty treasury benches, prompting PTI dissident from Peshawar Noor Alam Khan to protest the absence of both Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and Minister of State Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha.

The PTI MNA said the opposition was not pointing out lack of quorum, but the government should show some seriousness and at least there should be someone from the ministry to take notes of the speeches being made by the lawmakers.

The speaker was confronted by Mr Khan when, instead of issuing any directive, he tried to defend the absent ministers by stating that it was a collective responsibility of the cabinet members to respond to the points being raised by the members and that some ministers were present.

Noor Alam protests ministers' absence; speaker continues proceedings without quorum

Mr Khan, however, said it was not an ordinary session and if the finance minister did not have time to listen to the budget speeches, then who would give importance to the session.

Those who took part in the debate mostly delivered political speeches and highlighted the issues of their constituencies. As usual, the lawmakers continued PTI bashing and held former prime minister Imran Khan responsible for the present state of affairs in the country, particularly the poor economic situation.

MQM's MNA from Hyderabad Salahuddin, whose party was part of the coalition government under the PTI, justified his party's decision to support the vote of no confidence motion against the then prime minister, Imran Khan, stating that they had done it in the larger national interest.

Mr Salahuddin alleged that the previous PTI government lacked decision-making power, because of which the present coalition government had now been forced to take 'difficult decisions' in an effort to save the country from the economic mess.

The MNA was of the view that it was the MQM and the ruling PML-N which would have to pay a heavy political price for their decisions to increase the prices of oil, electricity and gas due...

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