Bukhari calls for austerity measures, defence budget hike

ISLAMABAD: Secretary General of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari has proposed a series of austerity measures, including a reduction in government expenditures and an increase in the defence budget, citing evolving global and regional dynamics.

“In view of the changing international and regional situation, national interest must be placed above all other considerations and greater unity is needed to ensure a strong and stable Pakistan. Politics can only function when the state is secure; therefore national unity and cohesion are essential,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Bukhari suggested that savings from government expenditures should be redirected to strengthen the defence budget.

Among his proposals, the PPP leader suggested that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and members of the federal cabinet should draw half of their salaries, while official expenditures of the offices of President Asif Ali Zardari and the Prime Minister should be reduced by 50 per cent.

He also proposed limiting the use of official protocol vehicles by key constitutional, military and judicial officeholders.

Bukhari said members of the country’s elite should fulfil their tax obligations on assets and sources of income, while financial, industrial and business groups should voluntarily contribute to increasing the national treasury’s reserves.

He further suggested a 50 per cent reduction in the official expenditures of both houses of parliament — the National Assembly and the Senate— and a 40 per cent cut in government fuel consumption across ministries.

He also proposed that government officials should use commercial flights for official foreign visits and urged the authorities to take steps to ensure essential commodities remain within the reach of the masses.