During a press conference, Pakistan’s Finance Minister faced rigorous questioning from journalists Shehbaz Rana and Sanaullah Khan, leading to a tense exchange over the government’s fiscal policies and recent tax increases.
Shehbaz Rana challenged the Finance Minister, asking for a firm assurance that no mini-budgets would be introduced before June 30, 2025. The Minister responded tersely, questioning the necessity of such assurances given the journalists’ perceived biases, stating, “You have already made up your minds; what’s the need for assurances? There is no answer to that.”
Sanaullah Khan’s penetrating question, which elicited applause from the audience, addressed the lack of accountability for prominent figures’ wealth accumulation and critiqued the government’s reluctance to reduce its expenditures or reform the tax system effectively.
State Minister Ali Pervez Malik, also present at the briefing, expressed frustration over the questioning, emphatically stating that questioning their intentions and sincerity was unwarranted.
The press conference, marked by these sharp exchanges, ended with Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb visibly strained by journalist Shehbaz Rana’s persistent and probing questions.
