Islamabad: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today to express the party’s concerns regarding the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025, according to a report.
This development comes as the National Assembly is set to resume its budget session today following a seven-day Eid break.
PPP has criticized the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led coalition government for taking unilateral decisions on the budget without consulting them.
Last week, PPP had initially announced boycotting the budget session, a decision that was later reversed after Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held several meetings with top PPP leaders to persuade them otherwise.
With the PM Shehbaz-led coalition lacking a parliamentary majority, securing PPP’s support is crucial for passing the budget smoothly.
Sources from The News indicated that a PPP delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto will discuss concerns with the Prime Minister, including the political situation in Punjab and the release of Sindh’s finances.
PPP Secretary Information Shazia Marri confirmed the meeting, stating, “The government has reached out for the meeting and Bilawal will raise genuine concerns of PPP before PM Shehbaz.”
Last week, The News reported that the Prime Minister planned to expand the federal cabinet and formally invited PPP to join the government, a proposition that PPP has declined so far, as reiterated recently by PPP leader and provincial minister Nasir Hussain Shah.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal has reportedly been tasked by PML-N leadership to address this issue, having contacted Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and Qamar Zaman Kaira on the matter.
Despite assurances by PML-N leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry that PPP’s concerns will be addressed, the situation remains unclear.
The government has less than two weeks to secure parliamentary approval, as the International Monetary Fund has mandated its guidelines be incorporated into the budget.
Pakistan has sought a new bailout package from the IMF, while trade bodies have rejected taxation measures proposed by Federal Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb in the budget.
However, the government maintains that meeting revenue targets is essential to securing the IMF loan.
