On Wednesday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) labeled the Finance Bill 2025, presented by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government in the National Assembly, as a “poisonous budget” and a “bundle of contradictions.“
A PTI spokesperson claimed that the federal budget for FY25 was detrimental to the nation, employment, and economic development.
The former ruling party accused the PML-N government of lacking control over the budgetary proposals, which they alleged were dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The PTI criticized the GDP growth rate set at 3.6%, calling it unrealistic and suggesting it would not exceed 2.4%, as estimated by the World Bank.
The new taxation measures, according to the PTI spokesperson, would trigger a “tsunami of inflation” across the nation. They also deemed the government’s projection of maintaining the inflation rate at 12% as unrealistic.
The opposition party condemned the government for removing tax exemptions for exporters and increasing the tax burden on real estate, which they argued would promote cash transactions rather than expanding the tax net.
Furthermore, the PTI criticized the modification of tax slabs, claiming it suffocated the salaried class. They also mocked the federal government for allocating only Rs5 billion to the agriculture sector despite making significant promises of relief.
Additionally, the PTI denounced Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration for raising government employees’ salaries by up to 25% and increasing the petroleum levy to Rs80 per liter, which would place an additional financial burden on taxpayers.
Earlier in the day, the federal government presented the 2024-25 budget with a total outlay of Rs18.9 trillion.
Muhammad Aurangzeb, a first-time finance minister, unveiled the budget in the National Assembly amidst a noisy protest by opposition lawmakers from the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), who stood on their desks, shouted anti-government slogans, and tore copies of the Finance Bill 2025.
