The National Assembly is continuing discussion on the budget for next fiscal year.

Participating in the debate, Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf of PML-N called for special incentives for agriculture sector to boost country’s economy as majority of the Pakistani citizens relies on it.

He said prices of pesticides and fertilizers should be reduced.

He opined that Pakistan will become economically stronger if agriculture is strengthened.

Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said that Pakistan should have been a member of the Financial Action Task Force instead of facing various types of FATF lists.

She said FATF’s primary focus was on checking money laundering and that was why past rulers had not applied for group’s membership.

She said those, who committed that negligence should be held accountable.

Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah of PPP said imposition of heavy taxes on salaried class should be reviewed. He said subsidies should be announced for agriculture sector to strengthen Pakistan’s economy.

Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the government has allocated 43 billion rupees for knowledge economy and science and technology.

He said armed forces presented merit based system that is why it has been flourishing in the country, while the civilian institutions were destroyed due to massive corruption of the rulers.

He said those, who have plunged the country into debt trap, will be held accountable.