ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan on Monday dismissed the federal budget as “dead on arrival”, saying it had already received its “death certificate”.
Addressing the media outside Parliament House alongside PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and former speaker Asad Qaiser, Ayub termed the budget a “disaster for the people”. He warned that inflation would surge following the budget, adding that “petroleum prices are set to rise once again, worsening the burden on the common citizens”.
Omar Ayub also criticised PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s speech in the National Assembly, sarcastically calling it a “story of sightseeing” and questioning the outcomes of his recent foreign visits. “Bilawal supports the budget but doesn’t seem to know whether he is in the government or opposition,” he said, accusing him of politicising the issue of Sindh’s water.
Referring to PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Ayub remarked, “The world knows him as Mr. Ten Percent.” He also claimed he was denied the opportunity to respond to Bilawal in the National Assembly.
“This government doesn’t want to see opposition faces. They want to silence us — they’ve already shot at us metaphorically, and stopped us from even meeting our party’s founder,” he alleged.
Barrister Gohar echoed similar concerns, stating that “politics is being played on Pakistan itself”. He lamented that the opposition was sidelined in presenting Pakistan’s case regarding the Pahalgam incident and India’s actions.
Gohar contrasted Pakistan’s approach with India’s, noting, “India has formed six delegations including opposition representatives to brief 49 countries — but here, the opposition is excluded.” Despite this, he said, “We stand with Pakistan, its institutions, and its sovereignty.”
Asad Qaiser also weighed in, accusing Bilawal Bhutto of “lying about PTI and its founder”. He criticised the PPP leader’s tone, saying, “You don’t become a great leader just by speaking English.” He stressed that “Pakistan comes first, and we reject any external dictation.”
The PTI leaders reiterated their stance that while they oppose the current government’s actions and budget, their commitment to Pakistan remains steadfast.
