NEC meeting postponed again amid coalition deadlock over FY-2026-27 budget plans
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
ISLAMABAD – The meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), scheduled for Monday, has once again been deferred, creating fresh uncertainty around the FY-2026-27 budget process. The move reflected continued differences within the coalition over major economic decisions. The developments underline the importance of consensus-building within the coalition as the government works to finalise development spending plans, fiscal priorities and macroeconomic targets for the upcoming financial year. The session was due to be chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and was expected to approve the national development programme for the fiscal year 2026-27. However, sources said the meeting was postponed due to a lack of agreement between the federal government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on several key matters still under deliberation. As the country’s top constitutional forum for economic coordination between the federation and provinces, the NEC is responsible for finalising development priorities and endorsing major development allocations ahead of the federal budget. According to official sources, the meeting did not appear on the Prime Minister’s official schedule issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, indicating that consultations on unresolved issues are still underway. No new date has yet been announced. This is the second time the NEC meeting has been postponed in recent days. It was earlier planned for June 3 but was also deferred, with the Cabinet Division later informing members that the revised schedule would be shared after consensus was reached. Adding to the uncertainty, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti had earlier indicated that he would not attend the meeting, further complicating efforts to build agreement among stakeholders. The federal government is expected to present Budget 2026-27 on June 10 with a projected 4 percent economic growth target. However, repeated delays in NEC proceedings have raised questions about whether t