Government, PPP Agree on Most Budget Proposals as Budget Approval Nears

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has reportedly received a positive signal from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regarding the approval of the upcoming budget, with both sides agreeing on most of each other’s budget proposals during a high-level meeting.

According to sources, technical committees will continue consultations on a number of practical and implementable points that require further discussion.

The meeting took place at the Presidency, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led the government delegation and was received by President Asif Ali Zardari.

Sources said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers, and senior officials from the Ministry of Finance accompanied the prime minister. The PPP delegation was led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and included members of the party’s budget committee.

During the meeting, participants discussed the federal budget and several other important issues. The recent situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir also came under discussion. The Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir was reportedly present during the talks.

According to sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated President Asif Ali Zardari on the PPP’s success in the Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

In a light-hearted exchange, the prime minister reportedly remarked that “young Bilawal ran a better election campaign than us.” President Zardari responded with a smile, saying, “After all, whose son is he?”

Sources indicated that the meeting concluded on a positive note, with significant progress made toward building consensus on the federal budget ahead of its parliamentary approval process.