- Positive response and suggestions on budget presented to govt: Nafisa Shah
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approached one of its main allies—the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)—seeking support for the passage of the budget for fiscal year 2025-26.
According to the insiders in the PML-N, a senior government official ‘reached out’ to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), seeking ‘all-out’ support for the passage of the federal budget 2025-26.
According to the insiders, the PPP was assured that its reservations regarding the budget would be addressed. The government formally requested the party’s cooperation to ensure the budget’s approval in Parliament, the sources privy to the development said.
However, sources within the PPP stated that no commitment has been made in response to the government’s request.
The party has sought time to deliberate on the matter and indicated that any decision will be made after the leadership returns to the country.
The PPP has conveyed that the government’s proposal regarding the budget will be presented to the party leadership for consideration.
Earlier, Pakistan People’s Party Punjab’s leader Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed vehemently criticized federal budget for FY 2025-26 and termed it a budget of the elite class.
He said the People’s Party will launch countrywide protests against the budget before its passage in the assembly.
“It is a budget of the rich for the rich class,” the PPP leader said. ”This budget has nothing to offer to the poor,” he said. “We will go against the budget to any extent, and the government will be responsible for it, not us,” he further said.
‘PPP positive suggestions presented to Govt on budget’
In related development, PPP leader Syeda Nafisa Shah has said, “We have presented our positive response and suggestions on the budget to the government, and we have also presented our position in the Standing Committee on Finance.”
She said the government will take our suggestions positively, keeping in mind the public interest, emphasizing the MQM should support the PPP on the issue of canal water because their interest is related to Sindh.
Talking to the media outside the Parliament House, Syeda Nafisa Shah said that there should be a tax on smoking. We have raised this issue in the Standing Committee on Finance. As far as the issue of tax evasion of Rs300 billion on illegally smuggled cigarettes is concerned, we have also presented our strong position in the Standing Committee.
Syeda Nafisa Shah said that there are strong lobbies on both sides regarding tobacco; whether it is the formal sector or the informal sector, we will consider whatever decision is taken in the Standing Committee so that the government also benefits from it and the implementation of taxes to prevent smoking is also made effective.
He said that the state has taken steps to prevent terrorism from Karachi and has largely controlled it. He said that the interests of MQM are related to Sindh, and Sindh should support the PPP’s stance regarding canal water. We do not have to support PTI but support the interests of the people.
