Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly rejected the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27, accusing the government of manipulating financial figures and placing an unfair burden on ordinary citizens.
Reacting to the budget presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram described the financial plan as a budget designed to benefit the elite while offering little relief to the public.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Akram claimed that the budget was anti-poor and failed to address the economic challenges faced by common Pakistanis. He argued that the government had relied on what he called statistical manipulation to portray an improved fiscal position rather than introducing meaningful economic reforms.
According to the PTI leader, successive budgets over the past several years have increased the tax burden on citizens and businesses, leaving little room for further taxation. He maintained that instead of broadening the tax base and tackling large-scale tax evasion, the government continued to target individuals and businesses already complying with tax laws.
Akram alleged that honest taxpayers were being penalized while major tax evaders remained outside the government’s focus. He termed the budget misleading and against public interests, reiterating PTI’s complete rejection of the government’s fiscal proposals for the upcoming year.
The opposition party also staged a protest during the budget session of the National Assembly of Pakistan. PTI lawmakers surrounded the speaker’s dais, chanted slogans, and tore copies of the budget documents in a symbolic demonstration against the government’s economic policies.
In addition, PTI members boycotted the finance minister’s budget speech, underscoring the party’s opposition to the fiscal plan.
The federal budget, which outlines government spending and revenue targets for FY2026-27, is expected to be debated extensively in parliament before its final approval.