KP govt decides to present full-year budget on Friday

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to present a full-year budget.

Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had initially preferred presenting a three-month budget over being denied a meeting with the party’s founder Imran Khan in Adiala jail. However, legal experts reportedly advised that a short-term budget could create constitutional and financial uncertainties for the province.

According to legal opinion, failing to present a full annual budget could lead to economic difficulties and disrupt provincial financial management.

Media reports said the party leadership, keeping in view the broader provincial interest, advised the chief minister to move ahead with a complete annual budget.

Meanwhile, PTI KP spokesperson Shaukat Yousafzai said the provincial budget may be presented in the assembly on Friday, June 19.

Earlier, senior lawyer Sultan Akram Raja had stated that discussions with Chief Minister Sohail Afridi confirmed that Article 125 of the Constitution allows a short-term (three-month) budget to be presented under special circumstances.

He added that he had conveyed to the chief minister that a final budget decision would depend on consultation with the party’s founder, insisting that he must be included in all key decisions. He also warned that if a meeting did not take place by June 30, the party would proceed with a three-month budget in the province.