“I suffered from cancer back in 2003, and only a cancer patient can understand the suffering of other patients,” he added. Why is the government now imposing taxes on the import of machinery for private and charitable hospitals, he asked. The Opposition leader said that earlier, "Imran Khan imported machinery for his hospital at cheap rates, which was a good thing because patients are treated for free”. 'Vast difference between words and actions of govt' The Opposition leader went on to say that Prime Minister Imran Khan "constantly speaks about the development of children in his speeches, however, his government has not even spared formula milk from being taxed". “They have imposed taxes on bakery items, eggs, red chillies, and even formula milk how can they claim that there will be no inflation?” he questioned.
Shahbaz added that the PTI leaders have “become a security risk for Pakistan”. Shahbaz recalled: “During PML-N’s rule, inflation was around 2.3% - things were most affordable during our tenure.” ‘PTI leaders have become a security risk for Pakistan’ “The government did not even lay a single brick for the construction of these long-promised houses,” he said, adding that the Opposition now "fears taking the name of Riyasat-e-Madinah”. He said that the PTI government promised to construct five million houses but they "snatched jobs from six million people". “Agriculture, industry, businesses and the common man, all are in a terrible state,” Shahbaz said. Meanwhile, the price of DAP (diammonium phosphate) during PML-N’s tenure was Rs2,400, while currently the price is around Rs9,500, that too in the black market. Recalling the time when PML-N was in power, he said that during their tenure, the price of urea was Rs1,200 and today the price is around Rs3,700. “How will we promote agriculture if they are imposing additional taxes on the import of agricultural implements and machinery?” he questioned. Shedding light on the agriculture sector, the Opposition leader said that Pakistan was self-sufficient in agricultural produce a few years back, however, because of the incumbent government, the country now has to import wheat and sugar. He added that in the supplementary finance bill, the government has also proposed an increase in taxes on the export of raw material required for the production of medicines, “which will eventually increase the price of medicines in the country”. Shahbaz highlighted that the government has proposed taxes on the export of machinery for charitable hospitals along with increasing taxes on exports of equipment used for treatment of TB and cancer patients. ‘Agriculture, industries in a terrible state’ The Opposition leader termed the government as "the most incompetent, lethargic and sinister one that Pakistan has ever seen", for having failed at several fronts, including controlling poverty, inflation and the Murree crisis. "This was said by the current Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he said. The PML-N leader told the House that it "wasn’t former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif or Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who stood on the container and said that if the power tariff is increased, then the prime minister of that time is a thief". However, “we were called thieves,” the Opposition leader said. The Opposition cooperated with the ruling PTI government for removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list. Rome is burning and Nero is playing the fiddle.” Shahbaz said: “I said earlier that Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
Highlighting the “unnecessary taxes” in the supplementary finance bill, he said that countries are reducing taxes while the PTI government is imposing additional taxes. Shahbaz underlined that Pakistan is currently one of the most expensive countries in the world. The Opposition is ready to support the government if it rejects the conditions put forth by the Fund, he added. If the government decides to stand against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the public interest, the Opposition will support it, Shahbaz said. He said that $1 billion "can be arranged with everyone pitching in", “let’s talk about this issue in the House”.
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