ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday called on the federal government to include effective measures in the upcoming federal budget to alleviate the financial burden on the salaried class, pensioners, laborers, and other underprivileged segments of society.
The president emphasized the need for prioritizing the welfare of the common man during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The meeting, which also included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, discussed the current political and economic situation in the country.
The Prime Minister briefed President Zardari on his recent official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and shared key features of the proposed budget.
President Zardari highlighted the importance of focusing on employment generation and social protection initiatives to support the vulnerable sections of the population. He urged that the federal budget should prioritize the uplift of workers and low-income groups who are facing economic challenges.
Earlier, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with a total outlay of Rs17.57 trillion. The budget set a GDP growth target of 4.2%, with relief measures for the salaried class and a 7% reduction in overall federal expenditure. The budget also projected a deficit of 3.9% of GDP and inflation at 7.5%.
However, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition partner of the government, raised concerns about the financial decisions made in the budget. PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf expressed reservations and said the party would discuss the points of concern with the government.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also criticized the federal government for neglecting the province’s development needs, particularly highlighting the dismantling of the Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD), which he called unjust and harmful to local infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), rejected the budget and announced that its members would not vote for it. PTI also expressed its willingness to support the PPP if the government’s allies decide to boycott the budget vote.
