Senate Questions Cuts.

The Pakistani economy was not doing great to begin with - which is why the country had to yet again, go back to the IMF for assistance - the coronavirus pandemic only exacerbated the situation. Economic growth has stalled and inflation has been on the rise. With economic slowdown, the government has been increasingly short of resources necessary to run the country. The pandemic has increased the burden while also negatively affecting the resources at the government's disposal.

The fact is that this is a unique situation, which has necessitated special measures that the government has had to take. The Senate's rejection of the cut in its budget while proposing a 10 percent increase in the salaries of government employees shows that the body may not share the federal government's vision of implementing austerity measures. Far too often in the developing world, we have seen governments cut funds to the public in the name of austerity while adopting a different policy for themselves. However, if the Senate's objection is grounded in constitutional reasons, then the...