ISLAMABAD - The opposition parties in the Senate on Tuesday rejected the federal budget 2026-27, labelling it a document for what a PTI lawmaker said it stabilises poverty, not economy.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader in the House, Senator Ali Zafar called the Finance Bill a “budget of broken promises”.
Speaking during the budget debate, he dismissed the government claim labelling the bill as “stabilisation budget”. “Yes, this is indeed a stabilisation budget—but it is a stabilisation of poverty, a stabilisation of hardships, and a stabilisation of the hopelessness faced by ordinary people,” he said while taking a jibe at the ruling alliance.
He said this budget failed to fulfill the two basic objectives, including trickle-down benefits for the poor, and a credible strategy for economic growth and jobs.
“It neither provides meaningful relief to the common citizen nor sets out a credible long-term plan for economic development and job creation,” he said. Senator Zafar pointed towards 11 areas what he said the government ignored them in the budget making process. These include no long-term growth strategy; no industrialization policy; no plan for agriculture; no roadmap to boost exports; no job creation strategy for youth; no plan to expand the IT sector; no solution for circular debt; no provision for dams and water conservation; no response to climate change; no strategy for population growth; and very low allocations for education.
He attributed the failure to incompetence rather than ill intent. “The government’s inability to solve the country’s fundamental problems stemmed from incompetence,” he said, adding that all this reflected not merely poor policy choices but a broader failure of governance and economic management.
The PTI parliamentary leader welcomed efforts for an Iran-US peace deal and said Pakistan could take pride in facilitating dialogue but cautioned that “the world must remain vigilant to ensure that the peace process is not sabotaged by India”.
Parliamentary Leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in the Senate, Maulana Atta ur criticised the federal budget and linked peace with economic stability. Raising concerns over the poor law and order situation in the northwestern province, he said economic stability could not be achieved without restoring peace and ensuring security in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. “I even feel unsafe when visiting KP,” he said.
Referring to June 7 general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), the JUI-F leader said his party’s candidates had been defeated through rigging. “On election day, the polls were rigged,” he said. Senator Rehman said his party stood with the country, but its people should not be disappointed. “The country’s policies should be in line with the wishes of our people,” he said.
PTI Senator Mashal Yousafzai rejected the budget 2026-27, warning the government of public anger if economic hardships persisted. She said the rulers should fear the day when they would not be able to step out of their homes. “We reject this anti-people budget. There is nothing in the budget for the poor,” she said.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP) Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti said Pakistan’s high energy costs, taxation structure and regulatory environment were discouraging for both local and foreign investment. He called for greater investment in urban infrastructure. Photo exhibition in Istanbul honours Quaid-i-Azam’s 150th birth anniversary
