RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Sunday rejected the notification of the 10th National Finance Commission Award (NFC) as being ‘illegal’ and asked the government to withdraw it immediately.

Speaking at a news conference here along with deputy information secretary Palwasha Khan and Senator Rubina Khalid, PPP’s information secretary Nafisa Shah stated that the party rejects the 10th NFC notified by the federal government through Article 160 (1) of the Constitution.

She asserted that the NFC is awarded through article 161 and 162 of the constitution, adding that the ‘illegal’ notification of 10th NFC should be withdrawn immediately.

Nafisa Shah also criticized the federal government for its ‘confused’ policies with regard to containing the coronavirus pandemic in the country and held Prime Minister Imran Khan as responsible for the death of over 800 people due to the disease.

“It is because of his [PM Khan] confused narrative that 800 people have lost their lives so far and the number of cases are increasing,” she maintained.

She said that members National Assembly came from their home constituencies to attend the Covid-19 special session of the house. “Whereas the irresponsible prime minister went missing during the whole session and failed to take the parliament into confidence,” she further maintained.

She said that chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the session but the treasury benches started criticizing PPP and Sindh government for taking appropriate measures in time.

She said that so far over 850 Covid-19 deaths have been reported and the number of patients has reached 40000, adding that it was shocking that the prime minister has lifted the lockdown.

“It is ironic that the nation is fighting Covid-19 but the prime minister is watching 90 episodes of a Turkish play,” she added.

She further maintained that the government has announced numerous financial amnesties just to benefit its cronies, adding that first beneficiary of the first amnesty was Aleema Khan – sister of the Prime Minister.

While speaking, Palwasha Khan said that the government is frightened of Covid-19, adding that it has no courage to combating it. “If the government’s narrative is that ‘we have to live with this virus’ then what is the purpose of this government,” she added.

Instead of providing employment to the people, she claimed that Imran Khan has made 18 million people unemployed due to his failed economic policies.

Senator Rubina Khalid said that it seems prime minister wants ‘to turn Pakistan into a huge graveyard’ that is why he went missing from the National Assembly session.

She further stated that doctors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are resigning because of the government failure to provide them with the personnel protective equipment (PPEs).