LAHORE: Punjab Assembly members demanded standing committees` role in the preparation of the budget, which remained under discussion for the second consecutive day in the House here on Tuesday.

The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) termed the budget an unconstitutional financial planforitsbeinginterest-basedthough the same financial measures are in operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) where the JI is in power.

JI parliamentary leader Dr Waseem Akhtar said the budget was unconstitutional as it was in violation of the Federal Shariat Court verdict against interest.

Referring to various Quranic verses and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) against usury, he said the masses could be excused for living under the interest-based system but the rulers could not. He demanded that in financial affairs of the province, particularly of the Punjab Bank, an interest-free system should be introduced.

Dr Akhtar, who is also provincial chief of the JI, conveniently ignored that a similar interest-based system in vogue in KP where the party is an ally of the ruling PTI and had earlier ruled it for five years in 2002-2007.

Demanding a district finance com-mission on the pattern of the National Finance Commission, he also sought a role for the Punjab Assembly`s standing committees in the budget preparation, a tradition in other democracies.

There should also be a mid-term review and quarterly approval of the expenditures by the elected representatives of the people, Mr Akhtar maintained. The step, he said, would make the budget that of the masses and establish accountability of the House regarding the province`s financial matters.

Presently, he said, the MPAs just rubber-stamp the budget at the beginning of the financial year then none would know where the funds were spentortaxesrecovered.

Another opposition member, Ijaz Maharvi, lamented that only a few political figures were consulted in the budget-making process and the rest of the job was done by the bureaucrats sitting in air-conditioned rooms oblivious of the problems of the masses. He demanded that political people should also be consulted for making the budget.

Treasury member Khalid Ghani Chaudhry also demanded inclusion of the standing committees for the preparation of the budget and release of funds to various departments through the same committees.

He, however, regretted that thestanding committees did not meet even once during their lifetime for lack of business.

PTPs Nabeela Hakim Ali asserted that checl(s and balances on the use of funds and not increase in budget amount would achieve the objective.

She lamented that private hospitals and doctors, academies/tuition centres and other such mafias were going `scot-free` while those living under the poverty line were being brought in the tax net.

The PML-N`s Azma Zahid Bukhari criticised PTI chairman Imran Khan for opposing the mass transit plans like the metro bus project. She said Mr Khan would not have travelled by road for years but he was opposing the metro facility for the poor.

On one hand, she said, the PTI was opposing the metro bus and on the other its own government in KP was preparing feasibility report of a similar project in Peshawar.

PML-Q`s Ahmed Shah Khagha demanded revision of the co-education system, saying it was abhorred in the rural areas. He also sought a mechanism for direct procurement of crops from the farmers by the government.

He criticised the government policy of giving development funds to those PML-N activists who had lost against political rivals in the last general election.