Islamabad:
The National Assembly launched on Tuesday the process of approving the federal budget for the financial year 2025-26, granting 108 requests for grants worth 5,162.5 billion rupees for 29 ministries and divisions after rejected 405 reduction requests proposed by the opposition.
During the session of the Assembly, chaired by President Ayaz Sadiq, the Minister of Finance and Revenues Muhammad Aurangzeb submitted the requests under the Head of Development and Continuous Expenditure of Non-Development to the House.
The approval of the subsidies concerned the Ministry of Climate Change worth 3.852 billion rupees; Trade division, RS26,998.5 billion; Communications division, RS114. 378 billion; Defense production, 2,879 billion rupees; Division of Economic Affairs RS20.664 billion; Division of Foreign Affairs, 62.584 billion rupees; and others.
Later, the opposition presented 405 cup requests in the firm secretariat, trade, defense and energy and divisions. Opposition members qualified the execution of these unsatisfactory ministries and required a reduction in their budget.
The Chamber approved 29 requests for the firm secretariat worth RS151.63 billion and rejected 112 opposition reduction requests; Five requests from the Ministry of Defense of a value greater than 2,600 billion rupees, rejecting 22 reduction requests and two requests for trade division of 26.99 billion rupees, rejecting 69 requests.
The Chamber has postponed the approval of requests and subsidy requests concerning interior ministries, finance, human rights and national food security until Wednesday (today). The session will resume Wednesday (today) in the morning.
