• PPP slams ‘unreasonable attitude’ of ally PML-N; PTI protests for Imran, against taxes; MQM-P delegation meets Shehbaz, PML-N leaders before budget session
• Govt workers’ demonstration outside Parliament House results in strict security measures

ISLAMABAD: Amid protests by the opposition and its ally PPP in the National Assembly and by government employees outside the Parliament House, the PML-N tabled the Rs18.8 trillion federal budget for the fiscal year 2026-27.

The budget — the third by the incumbent PML-N government — was supposed to be presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb at 3pm, but it was delayed for two hours due to annoyance expressed by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over certain sections of the budget.

As NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq opened the session and invited the finance minister to present the budget, the opposition lawmakers, mainly from the PTI, entered the house carrying placards and raised slogans against the government. Leader of the Opposition Mehmood Achakzai, however, went to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and shook his hand. He briefly joined the PTI protesters, who continued to raise slogans till the end of the budget speech, and then exited the hall.

The PTI members also tore up the budget documents and threw the pieces towards the PM. PML-N MNAs, who had made a human shield to protect the PM, continued to wave their hands to keep the pieces of flying papers away from the premier. During the PTI protest, its MNA Shahid Khattak scuffled with some ruling MNAs, compelling the NA security staff to intervene. Interestingly, neither Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl nor the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) join the protest.

‘Mild protest’

In their stead, however, the PPP staged a mild protest against the “unjust reduction” in Sindh’s water share, with some of its lawmakers going up to the speaker’s dais for a few minutes to record their protest.

“Sindh is facing 48 per cent water shortage,” said a placard held by Shazia Marri. Later, she told the media persons that the party would only have “token participation” in the budget session, citing an “unreasonable” attitude from the ruling ally PML-N.

Before the session, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was reluctant to participate in it. PML-N leaders Ishaq Dar and Azam Nazeer Tarar called on him to convince him, but it did not work. Finally, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi managed to convince the PPP chief to come to the house.

A PPP source told Dawn the PPP leader was unhappy with the outcome of the Gilgit-Baltistan elections. The source quoted Bilawal as saying: “Mera dil nahi chahta iss house main baithnay ka [I don’t want to sit in the house].”

Before the start of the budget speech, some PPP MNAs, including Ali Qasim Gilani, displayed placards inscribed with slogans like: ‘Keep Pakistan online’, ‘make tech affordable again’ and ‘don’t tax Pakistan offline’.

If grievances were being shared inside the NA, the situation outside was no different.

The employees of the Secretariat Group staged a protest on Constitutional Avenue to demand an increase in salaries among other demands. In light of this protest, unprecedented security arrangements were in place, and all roads to the parliament were sealed.

Cabinet meeting

Earlier in the day, the federal cabinet chaired by the PM approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year in a meeting held at Parliament House. Presiding over the cabinet meeting, the PM said the government had successfully navigated difficult economic circumstances and laid the foundation for sustainable development.

He said the preparation of the budget had involved extensive consultations with the provinces and thanked provincial governments for their cooperation. He said meaningful discussions on economic targets and resource requirements had reflected a spirit of national unity and collective responsibility.

Also, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan delegation called on the premier to discuss the budget. The PM termed the MQM-P an “important allied party of the government”, while hailing its “positive and constructive role in the development of the country, economic stability, and the completion of the agenda for public welfare”.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026