PTI-backed lawmakers move privilege motion against finance minister over GDP figures

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed members of the National Assembly on Friday submitted a privilege motion against Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, accusing him of presenting ‘incorrect economic data’ in parliament.

The motion was submitted by MNA Dr Azeem Lakhvi and carries the signatures of several other lawmakers. The legislators alleged that the finance minister provided inaccurate statistics relating to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita income.

According to the motion, the alleged discrepancies in the figures presented to the National Assembly amounted to a breach of parliamentary privilege and warranted action against the minister.

The lawmakers urged the relevant parliamentary forum to examine the matter and determine whether the information provided by the finance minister was misleading. The development comes amid ongoing debate in parliament over the federal budget and the government’s economic performance, with opposition members repeatedly questioning official economic indicators and fiscal projections.