Treasury praises budget, opposition labels it 'cosmetic'

Lawmakers from the treasury benches hailed the Punjab government's 2025-26 budget as "historic" and "tax-free," while opposition legislators dismissed it as a self-promotional exercise for the Sharif family, highlighting continued neglect in critical sectors across the province.

On the third consecutive day of the general discussion on the annual budget, treasury members lauded Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's leadership, asserting that they now enjoyed the freedom to voice their concerns — something they claimed had been suppressed in the past.

Opposition lawmakers, primarily from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), criticized the budget as anti-people, lacking substance and practical relief. They described it as "a budget of words" rather than action.

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) MPA Mumtaz Ali Chang voiced disillusionment, stating that he had hoped Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz would back her passionate opposition speeches with meaningful action.

"This budget is a letdown, especially for South Punjab," he said.

Ramesh Singh Arora praised the budget and said that the religious and sacred sites of minority communities were fully protected under the current government.

PTI lawmaker Qazi Ahmad Akbar criticised the ruling party for naming projects after the Sharif family and claimed that while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had allocated over 34% to the social sector, Punjab's allocation was a mere 9%.

"Instead of making jobs in Punjab, the government is busy boasting about sending people abroad after offering training," he said.

Other opposition members, including Tayyab Rashid and Khalid Zubair Nisar, lamented the neglect of development projects in their constituencies.

"Billions are allocated for education, yet children in villages have no shoes on their feet or pencils in their hands," Nisar said.

The House was adjourned until June 23 at 11 am by Chairman Raja Shaukat after completion of the day's agenda.