Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal Criticizes Federal Budget 2025-26, Calls it “Wordplay” with No Connection to Ground Realities

Quetta:Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, the central General Secretary of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, has expressed strong discontent over the Federal Budget 2025-26, calling it nothing more than “wordplay” that has no connection with the ground realities and the real issues and aspirations of the people.

He stated that the budget signals economic destruction, rising inflation, and regressive development. Ziaratwal emphasized that the total size of the federal budget is reported as 17,573 billion rupees, with defense expenditures at 2,550 billion rupees and a fiscal deficit of 6,501 billion rupees. He pointed out that the budget primarily focuses on just two sectors: defense and debt servicing, while the government will have to take heavy loans at high interest rates to cover other state expenditures.

He criticized the budget’s failure to meet the constitutional and legal requirements, as according to international and national regulations, the budget deficit should not exceed 12 percent. However, the current budget has a deficit that amounts to nearly 35 percent, making the budget unconstitutional and legally untenable.

Ziaratwal also raised concerns about the adverse impact of the budget on the working class and the middle class. He stated that direct and indirect taxes have been imposed on them, while no effective plan has been presented to create employment opportunities. “This budget is a blow to the people who are already struggling to make ends meet,” he added.

Criticizing the government’s solar energy policy, he remarked that the country is already grappling with an energy crisis, with a severe shortage of affordable energy. In such a situation, the imposition of an 18% tax on solar panels is a step backward. “This is a plan to deprive the public of affordable, renewable energy while continuing to favor the IPPs that generate expensive electricity,” Ziaratwal noted.

He also condemned the government’s move to give the bureaucracy a 30% allowance under the guise of “best performance,” stating that it is an attempt to further subjugate the bureaucracy, similar to how the judiciary was brought under control through the 26th constitutional amendment.

Regarding the trade deficit, Ziaratwal pointed out that the trade imbalance has reached a staggering \$30 billion, but the budget does not offer any policies for the production sector, nor does it present any plans to boost exports or create national wealth. “The government has failed to address the root causes of the trade deficit, and the budget provides no clear vision for economic growth,” he said.

Ziaratwal concluded by accusing the current government of being an illegitimate entity formed on the basis of “Form 47,” which has been busy making hollow claims of economic revival. “The reality is that selected representatives and governments are looting national resources to pay back their investments with interest, leaving the people to bear the brunt,” he stated.

He called for an honest and people-centric budget that prioritizes the welfare of the masses, economic revival, and the creation of job opportunities.