April 12, 2020: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has decided to take all the parliamentary parties' leaders on board over presentation of budget for next financial year.
In a statement, the speaker said he considers it necessary to take political parties into confidence over passage of the next budget in view of concerns regarding outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
He said it is responsibility of the parliament that budget should be laid before the House well in time and it should be aimed at providing relief to the people. He said people are facing immense financial difficulties due to COVID-19 outbreak across the globe. He said both parliament and the people will have to join forces to steer the country out of economic crisis. He said political leadership of the parliamentary parties will be consulted so that upcoming budget can be tabled in the parliament timely.
The speaker said he will try that work on issues of public importance should be continued in the parliament. He said that the decision to hold committee meetings through video conference is a step forward in this connection. He said the entire world is grappling with the coronavirus and it is need of the hour to demonstrate national cohesion to face this pandemic.
