ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday rejected the federal budget, calling on the federal government to withdraw it.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the opposition leader said the budget—the first presented by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government—was ‘anti-people’ and that it was dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Shehbaz said the PTI government’s budget, which he claimed was prepared by the IMF, was like a ruthless sword slitting the common man’s throat and the farmer’s livelihood.

Criticising the government, he said the PTI had vowed to create a new Pakistan but were instead pushing the country towards economic suicide with their inefficient measures.

The opposition leader the world does not trust a misleading ruler, calling Prime Minister Imran Khan a “selected PM who keeps on lying”.

Shehbaz Sharif delivered an uninterrupted speech in the House today, which was listened to silently by both the opposition and government benches.

The lack of commotion during Shehbaz’s speech was a plausible outcome of the recent agreement between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and the Opposition members to avoid protests during speeches.

Shehbaz Sharif delivered his speech, primarily criticising the deteriorating economic condition of the country.

Opposition leader Sharif said that the PTI will go to the International Monetary Fund every three months, however, in the past they vowed not to ever approach the global finance body.

He said that PTI leaders alleged that the agreement has huge interest on it while they didn’t know it was direct investment in the power sector.

Shehbaz Sharif said that when the PML-N got into power, the inflation rate was 12 percent and they reduced it to three percent with endless hardwork.

He said that the PML-N government focused on education, building 40 universities, and increasing budget for higher education commission to Rs47 billion.

Shehbaz Sharif said that the poor of the country are also protesting and want to know why free medicines are not being provided.