BUDGET 2026-27: Budget approval in final stages as grants finalised

This approval procedure was spread over two days, during which the opposition moved 587 cut motions, including 380 on Monday. All of them were rejected with a majority vote. The house is now expected to take up the finance bill and related fiscal measures before the budget is passed. As the house debated the allocations, the National Assembly TV and its social media channels continued airing the opposition’s speeches, though in a censored manner. The sentences related to Imran Khan and criticism of the state institutions were muted. Interior ministry under fire A total of 123 cut motions were submitted regarding the interior ministry, which was slammed by the opposition lawmakers for the performance of its attached departments, including the Federal Inve­stigation Agency, the Anti-Narcotics Force, the National Cybe­r­crime Investigation Agency, and other law enforcement agencies. The opposition lawmakers said they moved the highest number of cut motions regarding the interior ministry because they wanted to highlight the problems faced by the general public. PTI MNA Shandana Gulzar said Pakistan lacked investments due to the law and order situation, while online hate speech continued to polarise society along ethnic and religious lines. “The failure of just one ministry has not only destroyed the economy of the country but also divided the society,” she said, adding that citizens were being killed by terrorists, criminals, and even the law enforcers. She also criticised the registration of cybercrime cases over political criticism, saying that NCCIA was charging people over criticism of politicians. “Mr Speaker