Finance minister presents FY2026-27 budget in NA amid loud protests by opposition
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The National Assembly (NA) session for the presentation of the federal budget FY2026-27, originally scheduled for 3pm on Friday, has begun after a delay of two hours. NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq is presiding over the session. He asked Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to present the budget amid loud protests by the opposition. Aurangzeb began by thanking allies part of the ruling coalition, including PPP Chairperson Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari. He said the budget was being presented at a time when the world listened to Pakistan and desired its friendship. “But this was not coincidental. It began when Pakistan gave a befitting response to India in May 2025.” “This success was a result of decades-long professional training and preparedness,” he added. “Today, the world praises Pakistan’s defence capabilities. This is the reason that many countries are in contact with Pakistan to include the fighter jets protecting our skies in their fleet.” Bilawal attends PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is also among the participants. Earlier, the PPP, the main ally of the ruling PML-N, said its chairperson Bilawal would not attend the session, but it also clarified that the party was not boycotting the session. “Some members will attend the session. The PPP will be a part of the budget process in the national interest,” the party posted on X. The post was later deleted. In a subsequent post, the party said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had held a meeting with Bilawal at Parliament. A third post by the party said that Bilawal was chairing a joing parliamentary meeting of the PPP, where the budget, Gilgit-Baltistan elections and the situation in Azad Kashmir were discussed. The PPP and PML-N had held multiple rounds of talks ahead of the budget before they settled their issues on matters pertaining to the budget. In the NA today, PPP members, including Shazia Marri, staged a protest before the budget presentation, demanding that