Parliamentarians on Wednesday praised the public-oriented budget for 2025-26, calling it a balanced budget that prioritizes the salaried class, predicts favorable outcomes and effectively incorporates allied parties’ suggestions to address key concerns.  Discussing the budget’s impact within Parliament’s premises during the PTV interview, Parliamentary Secretary Farah Naz Akbar highlighted that it is a significant step towards economic stability, focusing on the salaried class and aiming to control inflation. 

She further emphasized that the increase in tax exemptions for the middle class is noteworthy, providing them some relief.  With prudent implementation, she believes this budget can stimulate growth and improve economic indicators, anticipating positive outcomes in the coming years with potential for increased economic activity.  She emphasized that all allied parties were taken on board while presenting the budget and expressed optimism about the coming days. 

Secretary of the Women’ s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) Dr. Shahida Rehmani described the budget as balanced, highlighting that it provides maximum relief to the salaried class with a notable 10% increase, aiming to benefit this segment significantly.  Member National Assembly (MNA) Tahira Aurangzeb described the budget as people-friendly, emphasizing its focus on climate change and welfare-related projects and noted that it surpasses previous years’ budgets in these aspects. 

MNA Syeda Shehla Raza lauded the budget, particularly for incorporating allied parties’ suggestions, noting that the increase in salaries was initially proposed at 6% but was successfully raised to 10% after consultations, providing significant relief to the salaried class. 

MNA Zeb Jaffar also praised the government’s efforts, stating that the allied parties’ concerns and demands were thoroughly addressed, showcasing the government’s commitment to collaboration.  Terming the budget as balanced, MNA Zeb Jaffar commended the government’s ability to listen and adapt, ultimately creating a budget that caters to the needs of the people. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)