LAHORE: Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Mahmoodur Rasheed of the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf on Wednesday led a protest rally and staged a sit-in against the imposition of `mini-budget` through levying Rs40 billion additional taxes.

The PTI MPAs and workers participating in the rally marched from the Punjab Assembly to Chief Minister`s Secretariat on The Mall.

The participants were holding banners and placards bearing inscriptions against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, federal government and IMF.

They also chanted slogans against the PML-N government.

Traffic remained choked on The Mall and adjacent roads because of the protest.

The opposition members, includingMianAslamIqbal,DrNausheen Hamid and Shunila Ruth demanded that the government should withdraw the new taxes and convene the assembly session.

Addressing the participants and later talking to media persons, Mahmoodur Rasheed termed the additional taxes a `drone strike on the poor` launched by rulers and said now nobody could expect anything good from Sharifs.

He said the PTI had also submitted a condemnation resolution against the new taxes to the PunjabAssembly. He demanded the government should immediately convene a provincial assembly session and discuss the new taxes in the House.

Mr Rasheed stressed the rulers should have cut their lavish expenses instead of imposing new taxes and pushing masses against the wall. He said the rulers, who used to claim they would break the begging bowl, had burdened the masses under heavy foreign debt.

He alleged the Chief Minister House was spending Rs1.3 million daily, while the Prime Minister House and President House were spending Rs1.7 million and Rs1 million, respectively, every day.

He said the PTI would continue raising voice against what he called the government`s `anti-people` policies at all forums.

APPOINTED: Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has notified Awn Chaudhry`s appointment as his political secretary.

Chaudhry will coordinate all political activities on behalf of Imran besides being responsible for the chairman`s itinerary, according to a notification.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman`s Political Adviser Abdul Aleem Khan has demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif take the nation into confidence on an informal talk with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, which according to him was being discussedacross the globe.

He said the premier`s stance regarding `friendship` without taking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other national institutions on board sounded dubious.

He regretted Nawaz seemed moreconcerned about his and his family`s personal businesses instead of the country`s sovereignty and interests.

The PTI chairman`s other political adviser, Ejaz Chaudhry, chaired a meeting to finalise Christmaspreparations and participate in celebrations in PP-153 and PP-154 constituencies.

Chaudhry said Christmas celebrations would continue throughout December and cakes be cut in various union councils.