The National Assembly of Pakistan completed the approval process for the federal budget 2025–26 on Friday. Alongside the main budget, the House also approved supplementary grants worth Rs 712.41 billion for the previous two fiscal years. The approval came amid chaotic scenes, as opposition lawmakers fiercely protested inside the House.
The session, chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, began with Finance Minister presenting the supplementary demands. However, PTI members immediately gathered in front of the Speaker’s dais, raising slogans and tearing up agenda copies. Their protest aimed to reject the budget and challenge the legitimacy of the process.
Despite the uproar, the government pushed forward and passed grants related to both development and non-development expenditures from FY 2023–24 and FY 2024–25. These included emergency spending, flood relief, subsidies, and defense-related allocations. The government benches responded to opposition slogans with equal force, leading to loud scenes in the chamber.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also confronted the opposition with counter-slogans, adding to the tension. The Speaker did not allow the protest to disrupt the agenda and moved ahead with approvals. The opposition later walked out briefly but returned to continue their protest.
Once the budget and grants were passed, the Speaker adjourned the session indefinitely. The government has now cleared a major hurdle, but the noisy session reflected ongoing political rifts over economic policy and parliamentary conduct. The opposition vowed to continue its resistance both inside and outside Parliament.