Average inflation expected to be 8.2pc; finance minister says large chunk of budgeted expenditures to be allocated for markup payments.

Adviser to minister says Pakistan Economic Survey FY 2025-26 to be launched tomorrow.

PES 2025-26 reports historic primary surplus and multi-year-high reserves; on flipside, poverty has climbed to 28.9pc and April inflation hit 10.9pc.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told parliament the government would allocate 3 trillion rupees for defence in the fiscal year starting July, up 18% from the outgoing year,…