Punjab to unveil new budget today, pledges ‘people-friendly’ spending amid economic pressures

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Punjab province, the country’s most populous and economically crucial region, will present its budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year today, Monday, with officials promising a “people-friendly” plan, Radio Pakistan reported.

Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman is scheduled to table the budget in the provincial assembly in Lahore after the cabinet’s formal approval.

Punjab’s budget is seen as politically significant for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which faces tough economic and governance challenges nationwide.

“This budget reflects Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision to prioritize people’s welfare and accelerate development projects across the province,” Rehman was quoted as saying by state-run Radio Pakistan.