LAKKI MARWAT: Speakers at an awareness session on the state of budget transparency and accountability have expressed concern over hasty decisions and lack of transparency in budget-making process in Pakistan, urging relevant stakeholders to ensure citizens’ access to key budget documents and incorporate their proposals into it.

The session was arranged by the community development organisation with the support of Citizen Network for Budget Accountability (CNBA) and Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) here in Lakki city on Tuesday.

The participants discussed key aspects and salient features of the Budget Transparency Report of the previous financial year, saying that the findings show that budget transparency in Pakistan remains limited and uneven, with weak public participation and gaps in accountability.

CDO Programme Manager Haji Inayatullah Khan revealed that key budget documents were not consistently made public and that the citizens had little opportunity to influence budget priorities.

Awareness session highlights ‘limited’ budget transparency in Pakistan

“Budgets are still not truly public in Pakistan. People are informed after decisions are made, rather than making them part of the process,” he said.

Zafrullah Khan advocate, Ikramullah Khan, Irfanullah and other speakers said that though budgets were presented on time, parliamentary engagement remained weak, with limited debate and insufficient scrutiny.

They said that delays on the part of the government in timely publishing expenditures and audit reports also compromised the transparency and effective oversight of the annual budget.

“Though overall transparency levels remained below acceptable standards, Punjab performed relatively better, followed by the federal government, while Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan lagged behind,” they claimed.

They said that timely sharing of budget information, meaningful public participation and stronger accountability systems could help to improve public trust and governance.

They appreciated the role of CNBA in publishing research reports on federal and provincial budgets and said that the CPDI was striving to make the budget a reflection of the public’s aspirations and to align the budget-making process with international standards in Pakistan.

SAHULAT MARKAZ: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have set up Police Sahulat Markaz in Serai Naurang town of Tank district to facilitate people in getting their various police department-related works done without any trouble.

DPO Nazir Khan inaugurated the markaz on Tuesday, which has been established at the Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak police station. DSP Naurang Circle Saeed Khan, SHO Ismatullah and other police officials were also present.

The district police officer visited various portions of the market and inspected available facilities there. During a briefing, an official told the district police chief that the establishment of the facility had enabled citizens to get clearance and character certificates and employment verification with ease near their homes.

“The Sahulat markaz will also provide other facilities including domestic servant and tenant verification, visa verification, lost and found reports and access to police services for citizens,” he maintained.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2026