Govt allocates Rs46bn for higher education

ISLAMABAD: The government has allocated Rs46 billion for the higher education sector in the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Friday that Rs3.6 billion have been earmarked for the upgrade of the Pakistan Education and Research Network (PERN), as well as for promoting artificial intelligence and digital learning initiatives.

Aurangzeb said that around Rs22 billion have been allocated for the Danish Schools system, while Rs7.9 billion will be spent under the Prime Minister’s Youth Skills Development Programme.

He said that Rs13 billion have been set aside for governance-related reforms and capacity building.

The finance minister said Rs144.9 billion have been allocated for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as part of regional development spending.

Aurangzeb presented Pakistan’s Rs17.5 trillion national budget for the fiscal year 2026–27 in parliament on Friday amid loud protests and sloganeering from opposition lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Addressing the session, Aurangzeb said the new fiscal budget had been prepared in the aftermath of Operation Bunyan Marsoos, highlighting what he described as the resilience of Pakistan’s armed forces amid external security challenges.

He said, “Our brave forces responded in a manner that forced the enemy to halt its aggression,” adding that strong defence capability remains essential for the country. He also noted that Pakistan’s defence manufacturing sector had gained international recognition, claiming that locally produced fighter jets are now in global demand.