Punjab Unveils Rs5,131B Budget Amid Expectations and Tensions

Punjab Government Set to Present Rs5,131 Billion Budget

The Punjab government is set to unveil a Rs5,131 billion provincial budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the Punjab Assembly today. Provincial Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman will deliver the budget speech on the assembly floor.

Officials state that the proposed budget includes around Rs650 billion allocation for salaries and Rs505.8 billion for pensions. A supplementary budget statement will be presented after the main speech.

Public expectations remain high, particularly in Lahore, where citizens expressed disappointment over the federal budget and are now looking up to the provincial government for economic relief. Government employees, who had been staging a sit-in at Charing Cross, have also urged Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to order salary increases in line with federal decisions.

Meanwhile, political tensions have surfaced as coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) raised objections to the budget. A key PPP parliamentary meeting has been called in the Punjab Assembly today to discuss the party’s response and future strategy.