Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar, has strongly criticized the recently presented Punjab Budget 2025–26, labeling it “the worst budget in Punjab’s history” and asserting that it fails to provide any relief to the public. In a press conference held in Lahore on Monday, Bhachar accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government of offering nothing substantial to tackle inflation or public hardship.
He targeted Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, alleging she had made limited appearances in the assembly for photo opportunities while ignoring core economic issues. Bhachar condemned the provincial government for its repeated delays in the budget presentation and questioned the practicality of the Rs1,240 billion development budget, calling it an unrealistic figure that the administration would struggle to implement effectively.
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Reacting to the recent increases in petrol and diesel prices, Bhachar criticized the ruling party’s economic policies, describing them as anti-people and inflationary. He stated that the current budget lacks any genuine welfare initiatives and called it a display of poor governance and fiscal mismanagement.
To present an alternative plan, Bhachar announced that the opposition would unveil a shadow budget aimed at offering real public welfare strategies, inflation control measures, and transparent governance.
The Punjab government had earlier presented a Rs5.335 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2025–26, with Rs1,240 billion allocated for development, an increase of over 47% from the previous year. Non-development expenditures, including salaries and pensions, have been set at Rs2,706.5 billion. The government also projected Rs828.1 billion in own-source revenue, including Rs524.7 billion in tax revenue and Rs303.4 billion in non-tax income.
Despite Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman’s emphasis on fiscal discipline and a limited 6% increase in overall spending, opposition leaders remain skeptical, claiming the budget fails to address the core challenges faced by the people of Punjab.
