The federal government is mulling over a possible federal budget presentation delay due to scheduling conflicts caused by the upcoming Eidul Adha holidays, official sources from the Ministry of Finance revealed on Thursday.
As of now, the federal budget is scheduled to be unveiled on June 10. However, with June 7 and 8 officially declared as Eid holidays, the third day of Eid—June 9—would need to be marked as a working day to stick to the existing plan. This has raised logistical concerns, as June 9 is already packed with crucial events.
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On the same day, the government plans to release the much-anticipated economic survey — a critical document that lays the groundwork for the budget. Additionally, the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, which brings together the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the chief ministers of all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan, is also scheduled for June 9.
Officials say holding both the NEC meeting and releasing the economic survey on the same day could be challenging. Traditionally, the government allows a two-day buffer between the NEC meeting and the federal budget presentation to finalize the development programme.
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“While the budget is still set for June 10, there’s a chance it could be pushed by a couple of days if necessary,” a senior finance ministry source shared. However, Khurram Shahzad, advisor to the finance minister, clarified that no formal decision on a postponement has been taken yet.
The NEC huddle is an essential process in determining the country’s development agenda, and all regional leaders must be present for even planning to be sound.
