ISLAMABAD , May 3, 2023: As the PTI and the PDM-led government concluded the third and final round of negotiations on Tuesday, the government was set to present the annual budget for the fiscal year (2023-24) on June 9, sources said on Wednesday.
The final round ended with both sides agreeing on holding elections on same day with no consensus on the date.
Sources said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would chair a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) regarding the budget in the first week of June. “The budget will be prepared in line with the conditions imposed by the IMF,” sources added.
Amid negotiations, the budget had also been under discussion as the date for holding elections revolved around the date of the budget with PTI saying that it had wanted elections to be held before the budget while the government wanted it afterward.
Earlier, PTI chief Imran Khan said if the government agreed on conducting elections by dissolving the National Assembly till May 14, the PTI was ready to accept the single-day elections throughout the country. “However, we smell a rat in the dissolution of the assembly after the budget is presented” he added.
“If you want to present the budget, first face elections and then come with a popular mandate before tabling the budget,” he said.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had said if the government presented the budget, it would add to the troubles of people.
On the other hand, former finance minister Hammad Azhar said the PTI was concerned as it had deemed that the government’s budget would be a political budget. “It is in our preference that the government does not present a budget,” he added.
He went on to say that the budget should be handed over to the caretaker government but they [the federal government] were adamant to table the budget. “The outgoing government should present a responsible budget,” he added.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Azhar wrote, “It is imperative that finance minister Ishaq Dar stops playing games with the economy. He has already inflicted massive damage. The budget for next fiscal year must be devised sensibly and in consultation with the multilaterals.”