ISLAMABAD, 14 JUNE (DNA) – Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid on Tuesday informed the Senate that there is possibility to conduct the next Census between November this year and March next year.

Responding to another calling attention notice moved by Abdul Qayyum, he said this is subject to improvement of security situation as well as availability of troops.

Zahid Hamid pointed out that the decision to defer the census was taken at the meeting of Council of Common Interest in February this year due to the non-availability of sufficient number of personnel from the armed forces.

He said nobody can deny the significance of census and it was the PML-N which conducted last census in 1998. Taking part in the debate, Mohsin Aziz said the Parliament and other stakeholders should be involved in the budget making process in order to make the document people-oriented.

He said the government has failed to achieve economic targets during the current financial year. Its tax amnesty scheme has failed to bring sufficient entrepreneurs into the tax net.

Kamil Ali Agha said China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an important project and it should be implemented within a given timeframe. He said preference should be given to the completion of the western route and maximum resources should be earmarked in the budget for this purpose.

Muhammad Ali Saif said the budget envisages no concrete measures for the relief of common man. Saifullah Magsi said the tax regime is repressive as the common man has been overburdened with indirect taxes. He said the government has done nothing to reduce agriculture input cost.

Mohsin Khan Leghari appreciated the government’s steps towards broadening the tax net. He said the government should provide subsidy to the farmers on fertilizers as is being given in the neighbouring India. The House will now meet on Wednesday morning at 11:00. DNA