Former Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Criticizes Federal Budget

Former PML-N leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Misftah Islamil, who have recently formed their own party, criticized the federal budget on Monday for lacking reforms and burdening the salaried class. They demanded that the government cut its expenses, stop smuggling, and increase exports by incentivizing industrialists.

Abbasi and Islamil urged the government to review the budget and roll back punitive measures like increasing taxes on the salaried class and allocating PKR 500 billion to MNAs for development schemes in their constituencies. Abbasi said, “The budget does not carry any reform agenda, so how will the country move forward.”

Abbasi criticized the government for imposing more taxes on those already paying multiple taxes and not adopting methods to bring non-taxpayers into the tax net. He called the allocation to lawmakers “senseless” and warned that non-filers will evade taxes. He also criticized tax exemptions for retired and martyred army officials and civil bureaucrats, warning that others will seek similar exemptions.

Abbasi highlighted the need to increase exports, which have only reached USD 30 billion after 75 years of independence, and suggested increasing it to at least USD 50 billion. He mentioned that the Special Investment and Financial Council was formed to facilitate investment, but no progress has been made.

In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the government is working on a reform agenda and has started dissolving the Pakistan-Public Works Department (Pak-PWD) to cut expenses.