Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership came down hard on the federal budget 2025-26, labelling it as a “burden on the poor and relief for the elite.”
At a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja, and Senator Shibli Faraz tore into the government’s economic plans, accusing it of favoring the rich while squeezing the struggling middle and lower classes.
Salman Akram Raja didn’t hold back. “This budget is designed to make the poor poorer and the rich richer,” he said bluntly. Highlighting the growing struggles of the salaried class, Raja pointed out that income taxes on these individuals were doubled last year, yet no relief has been provided in the current budget 2025-26. Instead, he said, the government slashed taxes on property transactions in Islamabad — a move he argued clearly benefits the wealthy.
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Raja also criticized the increase in the Petroleum Development Levy, saying the government avoided calling it a tax to sidestep revenue sharing with provinces. “Even households trying to save a few rupees are being sacrificed to appease major investors,” he added.
Senator Shibli Faraz echoed similar concerns. He accused the government of setting records in elite favoritism, revealing that Rs5 trillion in financial advantages were handed over to a select, privileged group. He blasted the government’s economic performance, noting that agriculture showed negative growth this year, and both industrial and services sectors had also been badly hit.
“Thirty percent of the population can’t even afford to buy a sacrificial animal this Eid,” Faraz stated, emphasizing the deepening economic distress. He also highlighted the ballooning national debt, which has now reached Rs73 trillion, and criticized the government for the rupee’s devaluation, claiming it’s now weaker than the Afghan currency.
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Backed by PTI and allied parties, Faraz expressed full support for protesting government employees and called for a fair increase in salaries. “The salaried class is being treated with sheer injustice,” he said.
Omar Ayub took the criticism further by rejecting the budget 2025-26 outright. He dismissed the economic survey numbers presented by the government, calling them “misleading” and “based on falsehoods.” Ayub challenged the reported 2.7% GDP growth, saying it was simply not possible given the bleak economic indicators.
“Let’s talk facts,” Ayub said. “Petrol was Rs150 per litre in March 2022. Today, it’s Rs253. Chicken was Rs287 per kg during our tenure — now it’s Rs600. Prices of basic items like milk, eggs, and onions have doubled or tripled.”
