PTI slams Budget 2025–26 as anti-people and elitist
PTI's Omar Ayub addresses the press conference alongside senior party leaders Senator Shibli Faraz and Salman Akram Raja. Photo: Express
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Tuesday vehemently rejected the federal budget for the fiscal year 2025–26, calling it “anti-people” and “crafted for the elite,” while accusing the government of worsening economic hardship for ordinary citizens.
The comments came as the finance minister presented the federal budget for the next fiscal year, with a total outlay of Rs17.573 trillion, outlining ambitious proposals aimed at achieving 4.2 per cent economic growth in 2025–26.
In a press conference alongside Senator Shibli Faraz, Salman Akram Raja, and Sheikh Waqas Akram, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said that his party and its allies 'completely reject' the budget, describing it as unrealistic and disconnected from ground realities.
انہوں نے جی ڈی پی گروتھ 2.7 فیصد دکھائی یہ ممکن ہی نہیں زراعت کی گروتھ 0.6 فیصد دکھا رہے جتنی بڑی فصلیں وہ تو تباہ ہوگئیں اب یہ گروتھ آئی کہاں سے؟ انہوں نے مویشیوں کی تعداد میں اضافہ دکھایا کہ 36 لاکھ مویشیوں میں اضافہ ہوا کوئی عقل مند بتا دے کون بچھڑے کٹے گنتا رہا یہ فگر کہاں سے… pic.twitter.com/BgXq1fuJjJ
“The claim of 2.7% GDP growth is simply not possible,” he said, questioning the credibility of official statistics. “Who exactly went out and counted the increase in donkeys?” he remarked sarcastically, adding: “Tell us how many four-legged and how many two-legged donkeys have increased.”
Criticising the government’s economic narrative, he noted that while services like IT were being cited as growth areas, major industries and the food sector were registering negative trends. “Purchasing power has declined drastically,” he said, citing the price hike in essential commodities. “Wheat was Rs58 per kg during our time; it’s now Rs75. Eggs were Rs135 a dozen; now they’re Rs288.”
PTI’s Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram also lambasted the budget, referencing the finance minister’s earlier remarks. “He himself admitted that $10 billion losses were incurred due to anti-farmer policies,” said Akram. “You didn’t have $2 billion, yet you inflicted $10 billion in losses.”
Calling the budget a "sham document," Akram added: “This is the budget the government couldn’t even name. We’ve given it a name: Leila Budget (referring to a sacrificial goat).”
یہ ایک لیلا بجٹ ہے اس بجٹ میں لیلے کی طرح عوام کو ذبح کیا گیا ہے کل ہم نے بتایا تھا کہ ٹوٹل خسارہ تقریباً 5 فیصد بتایا اس رجیم نے آج منفی 3.9 فیصد بتایا جو حقیقت میں 5 فیصد سے بھی زیادہ ہونا ہے پاکستان تحریک انصاف اس کی اتحادی جماعتیں اور پاکستان کی عوام اس بجٹ کو مسترد کرتی ہیں۔… pic.twitter.com/EvRqV9tuR5
He said the budget provided no real relief to the public. “The salary increase for government employees translates to just Rs20,000–25,000 a year. It would have been better to apologise rather than announce such an insignificant raise,” he said. “A 7.6% increase in pensions—how, exactly? Even government servants are now being treated the way we are.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz also tore into the government’s economic management. “Other countries in the region are growing, but we’re in decline,” he said. “These are not the representatives of the people; these are Form-47 products.”
وزیر خزانہ صاحب نے کچھ عرصہ پہلے یہ بیان دیا تھا کہ یہ جو ہماری غذائی اشیاء ہیں ان کے حوالے سے جو ہمارا نقصان ہوا ہے اس کی لاگت 10 ارب ڈالر ہے جو 2850 ارب روپے بنتا ہے جو دو ارب ڈالر کے لیے بھکاری بنے ہوئے یہ درآمد کرنے کے لیے کہاں سے پیسے لائیں گے؟
میں ان سے پوچھتا ہوں جو نقصان… pic.twitter.com/i4OAzCKzZBHe accused the government of spreading false narratives. “They run stories as if milk and honey are flowing in the country, while the poor man is dying. Most people couldn’t even afford to perform sacrifice this Eid.”
Faraz added that the elite had been granted Rs5 trillion in relief, while the country’s total debt had risen from Rs73 trillion to Rs76 trillion. “They suck the blood of the poor but cannot touch the elite.”
“No nation that runs on IMF crutches can maintain its dignity,” he said, blaming the government for a situation where most of the country’s tax revenue goes toward debt servicing. “How can we call Pakistan a sovereign nation when we’re begging?”
بجٹ کسی بھی حکومت کی پالیسیوں کا عکاس ہوتا ہے بجٹ عوام کی سہولت کے لیے ہوتا لیکن یہ حکومت بجٹ اشرافیہ کے لیے بناتی ہے جب سے عمران خان کی حکومت میں 6 فیصد گرو کرنے والی معیشت کو پہلے سال ہی منفی میں لے گئے، تمام بڑی فصلوں کی گروتھ منفی ، کسان گندم کو مٹی کے داموں بیچنے پر مجبور… pic.twitter.com/pKmDFDjClr
Referring to Tuesday’s protests by government employees, Faraz said: “The police sealed off the Parliament House and Red Zone. It was difficult for us to even get here. This is state oppression against its own employees.”
He concluded by criticising the budget’s underlying philosophy: “In this country, the budget is always a reflection of the ruling class’s priorities. This budget, especially under the PDM government, has broken all previous records. The poor are squeezed so the elite can thrive.”
He also noted the negative growth in industries and accused the government of attempting to sell wheat at throwaway prices, causing significant losses to farmers. “Even cotton, a key contributor to GDP, has been ignored.”