Balochistan Assembly passes Rs1.089tr budget for 2026-27

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Sunday approved the provincial budget for the 2026-27 financial year, passing demands for grants for both development and non-development spending without any cut motions from the opposition.

No opposition member submitted a cut motion on the demands for grants for the next fiscal year. The supplementary budget for 2025-26 was also approved by the house without debate or any cut motion.

Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Ahmed Nosherwani presented the budgetary demands during the sitting chaired by Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai. The total budget size was Rs1.089 trillion. The minister presented Rs797.808 billion in 53 demands for grants for non-development expenditure and Rs291 billion in 45 demands for grants for development expenditure.

The house also passed the Balochistan Finance Bill, 2026. When the session resumed, Mr Nosherwani tabled the authenticated statements for the 2026-27 fiscal year as well as supplementary expenditures for 2025-26 before presenting the finance bill, which was later approved by the assembly.

Spending approvals

Under non-development expenditure, the assembly approved Rs88.6 million for state trading, Rs12.4 billion for capital investment, Rs6.53 billion for Services and General Administration, Rs3.31 billion for the Excise, Taxation and Anti-Narcotics Department, and Rs100 billion for employees’ retirement benefits.

Major allocations under the same head included Rs87.18 billion for police and the Balochistan Constabulary, Rs86.77 billion for health, Rs35.07 billion for school education for males, Rs29.72 billion for school education for females, Rs28.71 billion for colleges, higher and technical education, and Rs41.38 billion for local government.

Further non-development allocations approved by the house included Rs5.53 billion for Labour and Manpower, Rs6.39 billion for Social Welfare and Special Education, Rs2.62 billion for Sports and Youth Affairs, Rs2.38 billion for Population Welfare, Rs3.76 billion for Forest and Wildlife, Rs2.27 billion for Fisheries and Coastal Development, Rs1.81 billion for Culture, Tourism and Archives, and Rs1.71 billion for Religious Affairs.

For development expenditure, the assembly approved Rs27.06 billion for communications, works and housing, Rs12.75 billion for irrigation, Rs11.60 billion for planning and development, Rs11.54 billion for school education, Rs11.67 billion for the Home Department, Rs8.49 billion for local government and rural development, and Rs7.56 billion for urban planning and development.

Other development allocations approved included Rs7.61 billion for public health engineering, Rs6.21 billion for health, Rs5.38 billion for energy, Rs4.25 billion for industries and commerce, Rs4.45 billion for agriculture cooperatives, Rs1.72 billion for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, and Rs15.94 billion for science and information technology.

Issue raised in the house

At the start of proceedings, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture Zareen Magsi raised the reported kidnapping of two youths in Jhal Magsi and called on the government to act for their recovery. Responding on a point of order, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said such incidents were harming Baloch traditions and values.

Referring to the abduction of the two youths from the rest house of former chief minister Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, the chief minister described the incident as "‘shameful’" and said the government was trying to ensure their safe recovery.