Senate session turns critical over budget
The federal budget for fiscal year 2025-26 came under fire in the Senate on Friday, with lawmakers from both treasury and opposition benches denouncing it.
Issues affecting minority communities in Sindh and the ongoing situation in Balochistan also featured prominently in the session.
The house, chaired by Deputy Chairman Syedal Khan Nasir, briefly witnessed a boycott by opposition members due to the absence of any minister.
Debate on the budget resumed after the arrival of Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Chaudhry.
Senator Dinesh Kumar highlighted the alleged kidnapping of three girls and a boy from the minority community in Sindh. "It is being heard that these girls were being forcibly converted," he told the house, urging the Sindh police chief to take immediate notice of the incident.
Responding, the deputy chairman directed the Sindh chief secretary and inspector general of police to submit a report and further instructed that the officers meet Senator Kumar to address his concerns.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Waqar Mehdi informed the house that "the girls had been recovered" and would be presented before the relevant court in Karachi. He assured that "there would be no discrimination against minorities".
Maulana Attaur Rehman endorsed Senator Kumar's concerns and called for accountability from the Sindh government. Senator Raja Nasir Abbas added: "There is no compulsion in religion and kidnapping of girls is wrong."
Senator Khalil Tahir Sindhu pointed out that the budget contained no allocations for minorities or interfaith harmony. The deputy chairman responded by advising him to take up the matter within his own party, since he belonged to the ruling coalition.
Senator Khaleda Ateeb raised the issue of a tragic dumper accident in Karachi that claimed the lives of a woman and her daughter. "Why is the dumper mafia so strong in Karachi?" she asked.
Senator Mehdi replied that the provincial government was making efforts to enforce traffic laws.
Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi urged the government to play a greater role in efforts to stop the Iran-Israel conflict. He warned that "Israel wanted to change the government in Iran and bring its puppets there".
He also criticised the budget for ignoring Balochistan, saying: "Balochistan cannot be ignored. We should have had a plan to fix the situation in Balochistan. Take Balochistan seriously."
In response, Law Minister Tarar reiterated that Balochistan was a high priority for the government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
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