Islamabad, June 12, 2026: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday strongly rejected the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27, describing it as an “elite-centric” financial plan that fails to provide meaningful relief to ordinary citizens, salaried employees, traders and small businesses.
The criticism came a day after Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb unveiled the Rs18.8 trillion federal budget in the National Assembly, presenting it as a roadmap for economic stabilisation, structural reforms and sustainable growth, with a targeted GDP growth rate of 4 percent for the upcoming fiscal year.
In a statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the budget was little more than a “refined exercise in elite self-preservation” and did not address the economic difficulties confronting the majority of Pakistanis.
He questioned the government’s portrayal of projected economic growth as a major achievement, arguing that the previous PTI administration had delivered significantly stronger growth despite facing the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Akram, the government’s claims of economic improvement were largely dependent on remittances, external borrowing and other indicators that had not translated into tangible benefits for ordinary households.
“The government continues to highlight selective economic indicators while ignoring the realities faced by citizens struggling with rising costs and declining purchasing power,” he said.
The PTI leader expressed concern over increasing poverty levels and growing financial pressure on low-income families, arguing that the budget lacked effective measures to support vulnerable segments of society.
Akram also criticised the government’s taxation strategy, maintaining that the salaried class remains among the most heavily taxed segments of the economy despite the relief measures announced in the budget.
The government has proposed reducing income tax rates across several salary brackets, but PTI argued that inflation would offset much of the benefit provided to employees.
According to Akram, tax concessions for higher-income groups and selected business sectors would disproportionately benefit wealthier segments of society while offering limited support to middle- and lower-income earners.
He further objected to several tax and compliance measures affecting traders and small businesses, including the expansion of withholding taxes, digital invoicing requirements and stricter enforcement mechanisms.
The PTI leader accused the government of relying excessively on audits and enforcement instead of broadening the tax base and addressing widespread tax evasion.
Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan termed the budget “disappointing”, claiming it would fail to deliver meaningful relief to the public.
Speaking to reporters, Gohar criticised the government’s economic management and accused it of increasing borrowing rather than reducing expenditures.
“The budget should have focused on improving the lives of ordinary people, but it does not reflect that priority,” he said.
The PTI chairman argued that despite official claims of economic stabilisation, public hardship had continued to increase and many citizens had yet to experience any real improvement in their economic conditions.
Commenting on political matters, Gohar said efforts were continuing to arrange a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan, but authorities had yet to provide a positive response.
His remarks came amid ongoing tensions between the opposition and the government over political and legal issues, which continue to dominate the national political landscape alongside economic concerns.
The federal government has defended the FY2026-27 budget as a balanced fiscal framework aimed at preserving macroeconomic stability, fulfilling reform commitments and laying the foundation for sustainable economic growth under Pakistan’s ongoing programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has maintained that the budget seeks to balance fiscal discipline with targeted relief measures, while supporting investment, development spending and long-term economic reforms.
The budget proposals will now be debated in Parliament before being considered for final approval ahead of the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.
