- Omar Ayub says budget offers no relief to public and will bleed the poor only
- Sh Waqas Akram calls the budget a ‘sham document’ and labels it as ‘Leila Budget’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday categorically rejected the federal budget for the fiscal year 2025–26 and described it as “pro-elite” and “anti-people,” asserting the budget will only “worsen economic hardships of the ordinary citizens.”
Addressing a presser after the budget, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said that his party and its allies “categorically reject” the budget, describing it as unrealistic and disconnected from ground realities.
Senator Shibli Faraz, PTI’s Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram were also present on the occasion.
“The claim of 2.7% GDP growth is simply not possible,” he said, questioning the credibility of official statistics. “Who exactly went out and counted the increase in donkeys?” he remarked sarcastically, adding, “Tell us how many four-legged and how many two-legged donkeys have increased.”
انہوں نے جی ڈی پی گروتھ 2.7 فیصد دکھائی یہ ممکن ہی نہیں زراعت کی گروتھ 0.6 فیصد دکھا رہے جتنی بڑی فصلیں وہ تو تباہ ہوگئیں اب یہ گروتھ آئی کہاں سے؟ انہوں نے مویشیوں کی تعداد میں اضافہ دکھایا کہ 36 لاکھ مویشیوں میں اضافہ ہوا کوئی عقل مند بتا دے کون بچھڑے کٹے گنتا رہا یہ فگر کہاں سے… pic.twitter.com/BgXq1fuJjJ
— PTI (@PTIofficial) June 10, 2025
Criticizing the government’s economic narrative, he noted that while services like IT were being cited as growth areas, major industries and the food sector were registering negative trends. “Purchasing power has declined drastically,” he said, citing the price hike in essential commodities. “Wheat was Rs58 per kg during our time; it’s now Rs75. Eggs were Rs135 a dozen; now they’re Rs288.”
PTI’s Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram also lambasted the budget, referencing the finance minister’s earlier remarks. “He himself admitted that $10 billion in losses were incurred due to anti-farmer policies,” said Akram. “You didn’t have $2 billion, yet you inflicted $10 billion in losses.”
Calling the budget a “sham document,” Akram added, “This is the budget the government couldn’t even name. We’ve given it a name: Leila Budget (referring to a sacrificial goat).”
He said the budget provided no real relief to the public. “The salary increase for government employees translates to just Rs20,000–25,000 a year. It would have been better to apologise rather than announce such an insignificant raise,” he said. “A 7.6% increase in pensions—how, exactly? Even government servants are now being treated the way we are.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz also tore into the government’s economic management. “Other countries in the region are growing, but we’re in decline,” he said. “These are not the representatives of the people; these are Form 47 products.”
He accused the government of spreading false narratives. “They run stories as if milk and honey are flowing in the country, while the poor man is dying. Most people couldn’t even afford to perform sacrifice this Eid.”
Faraz added that the elite had been granted Rs5 trillion in relief, while the country’s total debt had risen from Rs73 trillion to Rs76 trillion. “They suck the blood of the poor but cannot touch the elite.”
“No nation that runs on IMF crutches can maintain its dignity,” he said, blaming the government for a situation where most of the country’s tax revenue goes toward debt servicing. “How can we call Pakistan a sovereign nation when we’re begging?”
Referring to Tuesday’s protests by government employees, Faraz said, “The police sealed off the Parliament House and Red Zone. It was difficult for us to even get here. This is state oppression against its own employees.”
He concluded by criticizing the budget’s underlying philosophy: “In this country, the budget is always a reflection of the ruling class’s priorities. This budget, especially under the PDM government, has broken all previous records. The poor are squeezed so the elite can thrive.”
He also noted the negative growth in industries and accused the government of attempting to sell wheat at throwaway prices, causing significant losses to farmers. “Even cotton, a key contributor to GDP, has been ignored.”
