Budget 2026-27: ministers arrive at Parliament as budget documents submitted

By Muhammad Faizan Khan, Saba Bajeer, Farah Mahjabeen, Javed Soomro and Muhammad Zareef

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and Adviser to the Prime Minister Nadeem Afzal Chan arrived at Parliament House on Friday ahead of the presentation of the federal budget for the fiscal year 2026-2027 by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance submitted the federal budget documents to Parliament House, completing a key procedural step before the budget is unveiled in the National Assembly.

In an informal conversation, Rana Sanaullah said that government employees’ salaries would be increased by 7 to 10 per cent.

The budget comes after several revisions to the government’s legislative schedule and follows consultations with coalition partners and provincial governments on fiscal priorities, resource distribution and revenue targets.

Ahead of the budget, the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025–26 reported GDP growth of 3.7 per cent in the outgoing fiscal year, an improvement from 3.18pc last year but below the 4.2pc target. The survey attributed the growth to improved macroeconomic management, stronger fiscal indicators, a recovery in large-scale manufacturing, resilience in the agricultural sector after the 2025 floods, exchange rate stability and reforms implemented under the IMF programme.

Meanwhile, the National Economic Council approved a Rs3.669 trillion national development outlay for FY2026–27 and set a GDP growth target of 4pc. The package includes Rs1 trillion for the federal Public Sector Development Programme, Rs2.218tr for provincial development schemes, Rs451 billion for state-owned enterprises and Rs838bn in foreign assistance. The budget speech is also expected to unveil new tax measures and possible relief for salaried individuals.