K-P govt backtracks, will present budget in May

Confusion reigns in Finance Department

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has backtracked on its earlier decision of not presenting the 2018-19 provincial budget.

K-P Chief Minister Spokesperson Shaukat Yousafzai said on Tuesday that the government has decided to present the budget and call an assembly session on May 14, 2018. In a statement, he added that the government will hold talks with the opposition till May 14. "We will try to ensure the budget is unanimously passed," Yosafzai said.

The K-P Finance Department said a summary on calling the assembly session has already been forwarded to the chief minister from the Law Department for approval. A final word on the fate of the budget is awaited.



A senior Finance Department official said no written communication had been received on this account. "We did not receive any written orders on the cancellation of the budget or on its May 14 presentation," he said.

Confusion reigns in the Finance Department over the issue. "We suspended preparations which were in full swing till over a week ago as the government decided against presenting the budget," another official said. He said no consultations had been held on whether to resume preparations or not.



On April 15, K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak told reporters that the government will not present the budget since it was "unconstitutional". He said this was the right of the subsequent government. Khattak also said the federal and other provincial governments should follow suit.

PTI chairman Imran Khan had announced the same earlier. It is said that the party decided against presenting the provincial budget due to its fragile position in the assembly following the presentation of show-cause notice to 18 lawmakers in connection with horse-trading allegations in the Senate elections.