ISLAMABAD: Friends and foes in the Senate on Tuesday joined forces to disapprove what they called “budget for the elite”, with a PML-N senator seeking review of proposed measures and a PPP lawmaker warning it would be difficult to get the budget passed if promises made to the party were not fulfilled.

Saadia Abbasi of the PML-N called the budget a non-starter for being anti-poor and anti-business. She said the budget was meant to fulfil IMF conditionalities and give the global lender full control of Pakistan’s economy and sovereignty.

She said the budget seeks to channel funds where these were not needed, ignoring critical areas of health, education and socio-economic well-being of the people. “This budget is framed on taxing the people already paying taxes, granting exemptions to some and coercing business community through punitive measures.

She noted that the steps like giving powers of arrest to the FBR will not only lead to greater........

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