ZULFIQAR AHMAD

ISLAMABAD: Amid 'go Nawaz go' slogans and walkouts, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday presented a copy of the Finance Bill 2017 in the Senate.

The moment Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani gave the floor to Dar, the opposition lawmakers including senators belonging to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), staged a walkout from the house, shouting 'go Nawaz go' slogans, despite warning by the chair that no sloganeering is allowed inside the house.

This embarrassed the finance minister who was confident of smooth sailing of the Finance Bill from the Senate as it is the last budget of the incumbent government.

Rabbani directed the lawmakers to submit their budget recommendations within ten days, which will then be finalised by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance.

After remarks by the Senate chairman, Dar said that he never expected such an environment in Senate, as it has been over 25 years since he has been associated with the Upper House but he never 'even created such a situation for any government.'

"I feel concerned and depressed to see the environment of this house. It is not my budget, it is the budget of Pakistan. There should be no politics on economy of the country," he lamented.

He was all praise for the chairman Senate, saying that he has been carrying out the proceedings of the house in a wonderful manner, but the way opposition demonstrated was a new precedent set by the Senate.

Rabbani, however, tried to calm down Ishaq Dar, saying he does not need to be upset as the walkouts are part of parliamentary business.

But Dar kept saying that 'he was in a state of shock what the people [senators] were trying to display' through walkouts on the budget day.

He said when his party took over some four years back, the country was near bankruptcy, but the reforms introduced by the government steered the country out of economic crises.

Dar also claimed that country was deprived of billions of rupees due to the political unrest caused by 2014 sit-ins of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad.

Later speaking on points of order, the lawmakers condemned use of force against the farmers during a protest in Islamabad, and demanded immediate release of those who were rounded up by the police.

The chairman Senate directed Leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq to speak to the Prime Minister and ensure immediate release of the farmers who were arrested by the police during protest in the capital on Friday.

Senator Nehal Hashmi of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) alleged that the farmers were purposefully brought to Islamabad by Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah to embarrass the government as it was going to present the budget that day.

He said that any use of force against the farmers is not acceptable but those engineered the 'drama' must stop tarnishing the image of the government for political point-scoring.

Senator Azam Swati of PTI said that any use of force against the farmers who are the backbone of the country's economy is not acceptable, adding if the arrested farmers are not released, his party would launch countrywide protests.

Senator Sirajul Haq of Jamaat-e-Islami demanded the government to apologise to the farmers, as it was shameful that a democratically elected government resorted to use of force against the poor protesting farmers.

Other senators both from opposition and treasury said that such a treatment to farmers is not acceptable and there should be a probe to ascertain who ordered use of force against them.

"I am sure, the interior minister had not issued such orders and if someone within the administration had done so, there should be investigation against him," said Lt Gen Abdul Qayum (retd) of PML-N.