PTI budgetary proposals

In a welcome development, the main opposition party PTI has unveiled its budget proposals for 2026-27, calling for relief to salaried class, sharp reductions in government expenditure and wide-ranging reforms to what it describes as a fiscal framework that has burdened taxpayers without ensuring economic stability. The party has proposed universal health insurance coverage, increased funding for higher education and a coordinated national strategy on education and population growth. In the energy sector, it urged reforms to reduce transmission losses, rationalise tariffs and align generation capacity with demand. The party has strengthened its parliamentary credentials by proposing a number of recommendations with capacity to make the budget truly representative of people’s aspirations. Coming ahead of presentation of the new budget in National Assembly, these proposals offer valuable input for government if it is really interested in promoting welfare of the people and safeguarding interests of disadvantaged segments of the society. At the core of recommendations is a suggestion proposing significant income tax relief, especially for salaried class, which pays more taxes than businessmen, agriculturists and real estate sector. Because of the mind-boggling inflation, it has legitimately suggested raising minimum taxable threshold from the existing Rs. 600,000 to Rs. 1.2m with automatic indexation to inflation to protect real incomes from erosion. As for reforms in pension system, these have already been carried out exhaustively as traditional pension system for government employees stands abolished. However, there has been longstanding demand for monetisation of housing and transport for government employees and it is high time to implement this as suggested by the PTI as well. More important are proposals aimed at tackling the inflation, which is fundamental concern of every Pakistani. The party has recommended a phased reduction in GST to 15% and capping petroleum