• Opposition leader Zehri slams Rs206bn development package as inadequate
• Ministers defend tax-free plan as realistic
• Budget papers withheld from journalists, public for first time
• Dr Malik says plan ignores province’s realities

QUETTA: The Balochistan government cancelled its post-budget press conference and withheld financial documents from the public on Thursday as lawmakers engaged in a fiery debate over the province’s 2026-27 budget.

For the first time in the history, journalists were denied copies of the budget documents on the second day of the assembly session. Lawmakers, however, received the files on Wednesday when Finance Minister Shoaib Nosherwani formally presented the annual financial plan to the house.

As debate opened, both opposition and treasury members severely criticised the spending plan. Lawmakers dismissed the Rs206 billion allocation for the Public Sector Development Programme as “peanuts”, criticising the government for failing to include significant, large-scale projects.

They also noted that despite allocating massive funds for law and order, terrorism and instability in the province continued to worsen.

Opposition Leader Mir Younas Aziz Zehri opened the debate, stating the development allocation was a grave injustice and insufficient for a province of its size. He claimed the federal government unfairly reduced Balochistan’s budget by Rs63bn.

Zehri rejected allegations that lawmakers are responsible for corruption in development funding, clarifying that elected representatives only propose projects while government departments handle execution. “If corruption occurs, it happens at the departmental level,” Zehri said.

He also condemned the recent use of force against protesting teachers and questioned the government’s promise of 5,000 new jobs, noting that thousands of vacancies announced last year remain unfilled.

National Party President and former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch strongly rejected the federal and provincial budgets, describing them as entirely disconnected from the realities of Balochistan.

He said the province’s core issue was the continuous denial of its political rights and control over resources.

Despite Balochistan’s vast wealth in minerals, fisheries, and natural gas, Dr Malik said revenues from major assets are collected in Lahore and Karachi, leaving the province underdeveloped.

Raising alarms over enforced disappearances, he urged leaders to abandon security-driven policies in favour of political dialogue.

Provincial Education Minister Raheela Hameed Durrani defended the plan, describing the budget as realistic and tax-free. She argued that funding designated for community schools, university scholarships, and infrastructure upgrades reflected the government’s commitment to progress.

Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove insisted the budget was balanced given current economic hardships, highlighting a 30pc increase in health spending and a 15pc increase in education funding.

Addressing federal cutbacks, Langove revealed Islamabad initially planned to slash Rs94 billion from Balochistan’s share, but negotiations led by the chief minister reduced the cut to Rs58bn.

The session was adjourned until Friday morning.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2026