Budget 2026-27 may be delayed as June 12 date under consideration

The federal government is considering postponing the presentation of the 2026-27 budget from June 10 to June 12, with a final decision on the proposed change expected within a day or two.

Speaking to journalists at Parliament House, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal confirmed that several budget-related matters have yet to be finalised.

He said discussions were still underway and that limited time, coupled with the approaching month of Muharram, had complicated the process. “Many aspects of the budget are still being finalised,” he said, adding that no final decision had yet been taken on whether the presentation date would be changed.

Ahsan Iqbal said negotiations between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party over the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) had been completed and that the coalition partners had reached an understanding on development allocations.

He said the federal government would allocate a larger share of development funds to smaller provinces in the upcoming fiscal year, with the highest allocation earmarked for Balochistan, followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Punjab would receive the lowest federal development allocation.

According to the minister, Rs265 billion has been proposed for development projects in Balochistan, Rs195 billion for Sindh, Rs98 billion for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rs72 billion for Punjab. A further Rs150 billion has been earmarked for Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

He also said the federal government plans to launch the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway during the next fiscal year and will allocate funds for the K-IV Water Project in the upcoming budget.