Budget deficit bigger threat than Covid: Shahbaz

LAHORE: PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday called the budget deficita bigger threat than Covid-19.

“For the first time in Pakistan’s history the budget deficit has exceeded more than 10 per cent of the gross domestic product. This situation is very alarming and is a bigger threat than coronavirus,” he said in a statement issued here on Saturday.

The opposition leader in the National Assembly said this “historic deficit” had already weakened the national economy before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. “The Imran Khan government has also failed to overcome circular debt which has soared up to Rs2.1 trillion – three times more than what it was during the previous PML-N government,” he said.

Mr Sharif said the PTI governments in the Centre and provinces had also made a drastic cut in the education sector, thus playing with the future of the young generation. The government was lying to the nation on every issue, he alleged.

Meanwhile, PML-N Punjab Information Secretary Azma Bokhari said the Punjab government’s budget would only be used for extravagant expenses of the chief minister and governor houses.