LAHORE: The Punjab government is all set to present around Rs1.2 trillion Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next fiscal 2025-26 against current year’s Rs842 billion.

The government has plans to lay the budget for 2025-26 fiscal with a total outlay of around Rs6tr. The budget will be presented to the Punjab Assembly on June 16 (Monday).

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has reviewed the proposed ADP allocations, while Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is expected to review the development programme on Thursday (today) as the budget presentation date was extended from June 13 to June 16.

Stating that the senior minister and the chief minister are reviewing and may be changing certain sectors’ allocations or the volume of allocation, officials close to the developments claim the government is expected to allocate some Rs75 billion for the education sector including Rs50bn for the school education department.

Azma claims CM’s welfare initiatives will reflect in tax-free budget; defends increase in lawmakers’ salaries

For the health sector, the government is considering allocating around Rs160bn, including some Rs60bn for the primary health department.

Since the government is also focusing on improving drainage system and ensuring availability of respectable transport, the officials said the government has plans to improve drainage system in 60 cities and allocate some Rs200bn. It is expected to set aside Rs50bn for the transport sector.

Officials say the development budget for police is expected to be around Rs15bn, and the jail department’s ADP around Rs2bn.

Sources say some 2,750 development schemes are being included in the next fiscal ADP. For the ongoing schemes, the government is allocating some Rs536bn and for new schemes Rs457bn. Some Rs207bn are being allocated for 32 old development programmes.

For the chief minister’s local road programme, a Rs100bn block allocation has been proposed. For Saaf Pani Authority, it is being recommended that Rs4.35bn be allocated. For CM Punjab Schools Meal Programme, it is being contemplated to earmark Rs9bn. For the Assan Karobar Finance, the government is allocating some Rs89bn and Rs7.5m each for Agriculture House renovation and expansion of Business Facilitation Centres.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Information Minister Azma Bokhari claimed that Punjab’s upcoming budget will be progressive, people-friendly and tax-free.

The minister said the government would expand the province’s tax net, but no new levies would be imposed on the public.

“Major initiatives by the Punjab government — such as Suthra Punjab, infrastructure development and the construction of new hospitals — will be part of the budget. Basic facilities will be ensured in all public schools across the province,” she said and added that according to a recent report by The Economist, 98 per cent of schools in Punjab were in satisfactory condition. “The public will see the chief minister’s welfare initiatives reflected in the upcoming budget,” she said.

Ms Bokhari said those who were hoping for Pakistan’s default, were still unable to digest any good news that benefited the nation.

She claimed that the federal budget provided relief to the people, yet ‘some elements’ wished that Pakistan would become Sri Lanka and fail to secure the IMF programme.

Bokhari alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was the sole party unwilling to accept the national progress. These same individuals are now running a “March to Washington” campaign. “The Field Marshal is heading to the United States, but let it be clear, honour and disgrace lie in the hands of Allah and Allah has honoured him greatly,” she said.

The minister said the government has provided ‘substantial’ relief to salaried individuals by reducing their tax burden, and congratulated the prime minister for it. Despite IMF pressure, the federal government presented a balanced and people-friendly budget.

Getting [somewhat] upset over the question of pay raise to lawmakers by a journalist, Azma Bokhari said those who raised concerns about parliamentarians’ salaries, ignored the fact that the premier and the finance minister drew no salaries.

She urged the public to take into account when the salaries of the parliamentarians were increased last time. “People like us from middle-class backgrounds are also doing politics 24/7. Should we, too, start a business alongside politics?” she asked.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2025