Upcoming budget is projected at Rs17.6 trillion

Islamabad: Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is delivering budget speech for the fiscal year 2025-26 in the National Assembly, targeting a modest 4.2 per cent growth for the coming fiscal year, compared to 2.7pc expected in the outgoing FY25.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is chairing the budget session.
As soon as the session began after the arrival of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, members from opposition benches started chanting slogans.
The budget was announced with a total outlay of Rs17.6 trillion, down 7 per cent or Rs1.3 trillion as compared to the Rs18.9 trillion budgeted outlay of FY25.
The CPI inflation rate is budgeted to be around 7.5pc in FY26, whereas the budget deficit is expected to be around 3.9pc of the GDP, while the primary surplus is budgeted at 2.4pc of the GDP.
The finaance minister said that Pakistan has now achieved economic stability and was “moving towards a Pakistan that is prosperous”. He claimed that the government had not given any mini budget and no new tax was imposed.
Aurangzeb noted that Pakistan's prestige has risen in the international community, while emphasising the government's renewed focus on economic development through national unity and determination.
The minister highlighted the current account surplus, remittances and the stability of the rupee while also mentioning the positive reports from international credit rating agencies Moody’s and Fitch that upgraded Pakistan’s rating.
Talking about the outgoing fiscal, the minister said that the country achieved a surplus of around 2.4% of the GDP in FY25, whereas the CPI rate declined to 4.7%.
Later, the finance minister will lay a copy of the Finance Bill 2025-26, including the Annual Budget Statement, before the Senate for further consideration.

Apple’s racing movie is finally here
- 4 hours ago

Everything you need to know about Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”
- 2 hours ago

Railways increases fares second time in 14 days
- 25 minutes ago

Denis Villeneuve is directing the next Bond film for Amazon
- 4 hours ago

A million kids won’t live to kindergarten because of this disastrous decision
- 2 hours ago

Can the music industry make AI the next Napster?
- 4 hours ago

Ali Amin Gandapur challenges state to overthrow KP govt
- 13 minutes ago

Threads now has a better word filter than Instagram
- 4 hours ago

Heavy rain likely in parts of Punjab, KP and Kashmir today
- 33 minutes ago

What the Supreme Court did to America in 2025
- 2 hours ago

LHC orders release of Sanam Javed
- 10 hours ago

Drugs seized from female passenger at Islamabad Airport
- 29 minutes ago