KARACHI: As the Sindh Assembly began debate on the provincial budget for the financial year 2026-27 on Friday, the house witnessed a protest by opposition lawmakers from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), who dismissed the financial plan as “disappointing”, while the treasury benches hailed it as a “balanced budget in difficult times”.

As many as 29 members from the both sides of the aisle participated on the first day of the five-day post-budget debate.

Many lawmakers came down heavily on each other, using harsh words which were ultimately expunged by Speaker Syed Awais Shah.

While the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party members defended the budget, calling it “the best in the given circumstances”, the opposition members questioned the provincial government’s priorities and policies.

29 members from both sides of the aisle participate in discussion

The MQM-P members continued their protest during the post-budget debate as they entered the house carrying placards against the provincial government, with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in attendance.

Opening the debate, PPP’s Dr Sohrab Sarki said that the government was carrying out development work across the province, with the “greatest focus on education”.

He said that over 74,000 teachers had been recruited on merit, adding that the Sindh government was functioning “efficiently despite challenging circumstances”.

Tanzila Ume Habiba of the PPP termed the budget “very good for the welfare of Sindh’s people”.

She stressed that the population surge had to be controlled for any lasting solution to public issues and highlighted that one million families had received houses under the housing scheme announced by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

PPP lawmaker Syed Ejaz Shah praised the chief minister for presenting an “excellent budget” and described the Shahrah-i-Bhutto as a landmark project.

The MPA from Tando Muhammad Khan urged the government to release funds for the Tando Muhammad Khan District Hospital.

However, MQM-P’s Shariq Jamal said that the people of Sindh were grappling with serious problems but the provincial government was not serious about resolving them. “Sindh received Rs71,000 billion over the past 18 years, yet public issues remain unchanged,” he said, adding that bad governance had made Karachi the third-worst city in the world.

He said the MQM-P did not accept the budget and would therefore not discuss it.

PPP’s Hassan Ali Shah complained that no new schemes had been included for his constituency and called for a new unit of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Naushahro Feroze.

He said that Karachi had been given great importance through several public-private partnership projects.

PPP MPA Shazia Karim criticised the opposition’s boycott, saying those claiming to represent urban Sindh had never protested over Karachi’s issues but were quick to agitate for political point-scoring.

She said that the province faced an acute water shortage and lauded Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro for pleading the province’s case in Islamabad. “Sindh is not anyone’s estate to be divided,” she remarked, adding that the PPP government was serving Karachi without discrimination.

MQM-P’s Aamir Siddiqui lamented that elected representatives of the city that paid the most tax had not been consulted during budget preparation. “Not a single development scheme of Karachi’s MPAs is in the budget,” he said, questioning the Rs551bn allocation for education and Rs200bn demand for the Karachi mayor.

He also asked why assembly members sought treatment at private hospitals if public hospitals were adequate in the province.

The MQM-P MPA said that he wished the budget presented by the chief minister would actually be implemented. Calling Karachi “an unfortunate city,” he complained that MPAs from the tax-generating metropolis had no schemes in the budget.

PPP’s Mohammad Asif Khan listed projects completed in Keamari, including a water line and a dispensary in Sultanabad. He also requested land for a graveyard near Moach Goth.

MQM-P’s Adil Askari said that education in Sindh would collapse without proper attention despite budgetary allocations. He alleged massive corruption in the Rs55bn Shahrah-i-Bhutto project built under public-private partnership mode, and termed the seven per cent salary raise for government employees inadequate.

During a heated exchange, MQM-P’s Jamal Ahmed took a swipe at a woman lawmaker of the PPP, saying she used to come in a rickshaw and now arrived in a “Dala” (double-cabin vehicle), and urged the Field Marshal to pay attention to Karachi and end corruption.

The situation turned more tense after PPP’s Farooq Awan made pointed remarks aimed at the MQM-P.

PPP’s Yasmin Shah sought a cut in agricultural income tax from 43pc to 20pc and a release of Rs2bn for Badin. PPP’s Rukhsana Shah highlighted drinking water shortages in Kohistan and livestock deaths due to canal water scarcity.

MQM-P’s Quratulain Khan said the budget had “only zero” for opposition MPAs, adding that Karachi residents received Rs10,000 e-challans instead of rights.

MQM-P’s Nasir Qureshi deplored the state of Civil Hospital Hyderabad and water shortages in Phuleli for four months. Mohammad Dilawar of MQM-P also asked the Field Marshal to end corruption in the province.

MQM-P’s Sheikh Abdullah proposed a code of conduct to avoid personal attacks, noting that workers clashed when speeches reached them.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2026