Islamabad, June 14, 2026: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Sunday invited opposition parties to sign a Charter of Economy (CoE), while defending the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27 and asserting that Pakistan’s economy was moving in the right direction.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly during the ongoing budget debate, Tarar credited the government’s economic policies for stabilising the economy and described the budget as a “friendly and relief-oriented” package aimed at benefiting all segments of society.
“The economy is on the right track today,” the minister said, highlighting increases in revenue collection and foreign remittances. He also noted that the government had proposed the abolition of the super tax, a move approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Tarar urged the opposition to acknowledge positive government initiatives, including Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East.
The federal government unveiled the FY2026-27 budget on June 12, announcing relief measures for the salaried class, corporate sector, real estate industry and exporters in a bid to stimulate economic activity. While the budget focuses largely on enforcement measures rather than imposing major new taxes, it includes proposals to tax social media earnings and introduce a fixed tax regime for small traders and shopkeepers.
Responding to Tarar’s remarks, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser said his party was prepared to sign a Charter of Democracy aimed at ensuring an independent judiciary and election commission.
Qaiser accused the information minister of distorting facts and rejected allegations regarding PTI’s engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“Have you read the letter PTI wrote to the IMF? We have not written anything against Pakistan,” he said.
The PTI leader also referred to a recent meeting between Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, held a day after both leaders addressed the National Assembly.
Criticising the government’s economic policies, Qaiser claimed that the budget proposals were largely dictated by IMF requirements.
He argued that farmers, particularly in Punjab, would suffer significant losses due to the absence of meaningful relief measures for the agricultural sector. He also claimed that dozens of companies had exited Pakistan, halting investment projects.
Qaiser further raised concerns about the tobacco industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alleging that excessive taxation had hurt farmers and created a monopoly in the cigarette market.
He also highlighted what he described as outstanding financial obligations owed by the federal government to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and expressed concern over declining trade with Afghanistan.
“If unemployment continues to rise in KP, young people may be pushed towards militancy,” he warned.
The PTI leader also criticised restrictions on jailed party founder Imran Khan’s meetings with family members.
In response, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal recalled that during Qaiser’s tenure as National Assembly speaker, opposition requests regarding production orders for detained lawmakers had similarly not been accommodated.
PTI leader Amir Dogar described the budget as “anti-people,” arguing that it offered little relief amid persistently high inflation.
He claimed that petroleum levies imposed over recent months had significantly increased the burden on consumers and criticised development allocations, particularly funds earmarked for new dams.
Dogar also said the budget lacked incentives for investors and failed to provide meaningful support for the agricultural sector. He reiterated his demand for the creation of a South Punjab province and criticised legal proceedings against PTI leaders.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Sharmila Faruqui also expressed dissatisfaction with the budget, arguing that it provided inadequate relief to ordinary citizens.
She noted that the salaried class had paid approximately Rs550 billion in taxes during the previous fiscal year, while the proposed relief amounted to only around Rs50 billion.
Questioning the government’s poverty benchmarks, Faruqui said it was unrealistic to suggest that a person earning Rs8,484 per month was not living below the poverty line.
“How can someone manage household expenses with such a meagre income?” she asked.
She also criticised the absence of substantial initiatives for Pakistan’s youth despite the fact that nearly 68 per cent of the population is under the age of 30.
Faruqui further pointed to infrastructure concerns, noting that although Rs224 billion had been allocated to the National Highways Authority (NHA), only Rs10 billion had been earmarked for the long-awaited Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project.
“This road project is unlikely to begin even during the upcoming fiscal year,” she remarked.
The National Assembly’s general debate on the FY2026-27 budget entered its second day on Sunday, with government and opposition lawmakers sharply divided over the country’s economic direction.
While the government maintains that the budget provides relief and supports economic growth, opposition parties argue that it fails to address inflation, unemployment, poverty and challenges facing key sectors such as agriculture and industry.
The debate is expected to continue in the coming days before parliament votes on the budget proposals.
