Islamabad, June 20, 2026: The Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) of the National Assembly has called for enhanced allocations for children’s welfare in future budgets after reviewing the Federal Budget 2026–27 through a child rights lens.
The review was conducted during a briefing session titled “Budget Through Children’s Lens: Post-Budget Analysis 2026–2027” held at Parliament House under the chairpersonship of PCCR Convenor Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, MNA. The event was organized in collaboration with the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) Pakistan and brought together parliamentarians, parliamentary secretaries, and policy experts to assess the budget’s impact on children.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan stressed that a national budget reflects a country’s priorities and highlighted the importance of ensuring sufficient resources for children’s education, healthcare, nutrition, protection, and overall well-being.
“Investment in children is not only a national responsibility but also a prerequisite for sustainable development,” she said.
The session featured a comprehensive presentation by budget expert Amer Ejaz, who analyzed the Federal Budget 2026–27 from a child rights perspective. The analysis categorized child-related expenditures into direct, indirect, and general public spending while examining allocations for key sectors including education, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), disaster management, flood rehabilitation, and the Prime Minister’s Special Initiatives.
Particular attention was given to development spending by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the Ministry of National Health Services, and provincial allocations affecting children’s welfare.
An interactive discussion followed, attended by Convenor of the Parliamentary Taskforce on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Shaista Pervaiz, Parliamentary Secretaries Farah Naz Akbar, Kiran Imran Dar, Saba Sadiq and Zeb Jaffar, as well as MNAs Asia Naz Tanoli and Kiran Haider.
The lawmakers engaged with budget expert Amer Ejaz, LEAD Executive Director Syed Kausar, and SSDO Director Programs Maryam Jawad on the effectiveness of child-focused spending in the current budget and discussed key gaps requiring policy attention.
Participants collectively reaffirmed their commitment to advocating for stronger and more targeted allocations for child-related sectors in future federal budgets, emphasizing that increased investment is essential to improving the welfare and well-being of Pakistan’s children.
Concluding the session, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan thanked the experts and participants for their contributions and acknowledged SSDO’s technical support in facilitating informed discussions on child-responsive budgeting.
She also appreciated the active participation of parliamentarians and National Assembly Secretariat officials, including Haziq Bukhari and Iffat Pervaz, for their role in the successful organization of the event.
The session underscored growing parliamentary interest in ensuring that budgetary decisions are aligned with the needs and rights of children, particularly in critical sectors such as education, health, nutrition, and social protection.
