MPs break ground with budget review
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Former energy and finance minister Naveed Qamar said Parliament has made history by reviewing the 2025-26 budget word by word through its standing committees on finance and revenue.
Speaking at a parliamentary consultation titled 'Budget 2025-26: Numbers and Beyond' on Thursday, Qamar noted that for a hundred years, the budget-making process remained the sole domain of bureaucrats. "Parliamentarians were handed the budget as a fait accompli, only to rubber-stamp it. This time, we've amended the rules of parliamentary business, allowing committees from both houses to read the Finance Bill meticulously, calling in experts and officials to better understand the data and narrative," he said.
He stressed that Parliament must take the lead in the budget process and proposed setting up a parliamentary budget office staffed by specialists. "The budget documents reach Parliament in June with only weeks to pass them. The process should start months earlier with expert input," he added.
Dr Nafisa Shah and Sher Ali Arbab, co-conveners of the Parliamentary Forum on Energy and Economy, explained how the forum works across party lines to broaden public engagement and deepen debate on energy and economic policies.
Former State Bank governor Shahid Kardar criticised the budget as "unimaginative" and repetitive. "It doesn't address how government operates. Both federal and provincial governments are expanding without improving performance. Salaries and pensions are rising while development projects face major delays and cost overruns," he said.
He also criticised international donors like the IMF for continuing to lend without requiring real structural reforms.
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