ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday stressed the need to prioritize public welfare, provincial rights and economic stability during a meeting with Prime Minister Sharif to discuss the upcoming federal budget and other affairs, Zardari’s office said.
The meeting, part of pre-budget consultations between coalition partners in the federal government, followed local media reports about differences between the allies over taxation, provincial funds and public welfare schemes.
Discussions at Monday’s meeting were centered around the economy, budget for the next financial year, recent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir protests, law and order and issues of national importance.
“The president stressed on prioritizing public welfare, rights of provinces and economic stability in the federal budget,” Zardari’s office said. “The president directed that every effort should be made to harmonize growth rate and public welfare schemes in the upcoming budget.”
The meeting came a day after a delegation of Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) expressed reservations related to taxes during a pre-budget meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, according to local media reports.
Pakistan, currently bolstered by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, has been asked by the global lender to introduce at least Rs430 billion ($1.5 billion) worth of additional budgetary measures in the upcoming budget, alongside a nearly matching amount to be generated by the four provinces. The PPP delegation had opposed new taxes and hoped the government would provide relief to inflation-hit masses.
Pakistan has engaged multiple financial and economic sectors ahead of its Budget 2026–27, with consultations pointing to a policy focus on boosting savings, reforming taxation and expanding participation in key financial industries, according to official statements. The outreach came as the government seeks to shape its budget strategy amid fiscal constraints and the need to strengthen domestic resource mobilization.
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will present the Pakistan Economic Survey (PES) 2026-27, which will provide a comprehensive survey of the country’s economic performance in the outgoing fiscal year. It will be followed by the presentation of the federal budget on Wednesday.
