Senate continues discussion on budget for next fiscal year.

ISLAMABAD -- The Senate continued discussion on the budget for next fiscal year on Monday as well.

Participating in the budget discussion, Senator Mian Ateeq Shaikh suggested the government to give incentives to the mobile phone manufacturing industry as it will provide immense job opportunities to the youth. He said the State Bank of Pakistan should introduce digital currency to promote financial inclusion.

Senator Rubina Khalid said provinces should be transferred to them at the earliest instead of wasting energies in conquering Sindh. She said the federal government should review budgetary allocations for health and the education sectors and reserve pour more liquidity in this regard to provide better medical and health facilities and learning opportunities for the common people.

Senator Nuzhat Sadiq asked the government to focus on creating awareness among masses to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. She expressed concerns over the growing number of Corona cases in the country.

Gul Bashra said termed the budget as anti-people. She said neither the people on helm of affairs are aware of the losses inflicted by recent rains in Balochistan nor any allocation has been made in the federal budget.

Dr. Jehanzeb Jamaldini said Balochistan makes 44 percent of Pakistan, but it gets just 10 percent in the federal budget. He said smaller provinces have been ignored in the budget.

He said dividends of reduced petroleum prices in the international market should be diverted towards less developed areas of the country. He said an oil refinery should be set-up in Balochistan, which will provide job opportunities for the local population. He said small dams should be constructed in Balochistan to promote agriculture in the province and to provide drinking water to the people.

Senator Sirajul Haq said Islamic economic system is the only way forward to put the country on the path of progress and development as the capitalist system cannot bear fruit to benefit common people. He said Islamic system of Zakat and Ushar should be enforced in the country to steer the common people out of poverty. He said this budget failed to make significant allocations for food security, hundreds of thousands of students and teachers of private institutions and seminaries, agriculture sector, fisheries, and livestock.

Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi said Karachi-Khuzdar-Quetta-Chaman road should be converted to dual carriage...