PPP denies rumours of boycotting budget session, says Bilawal to skip proceedings

Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, reached the Parliament and joined the budget session after meeting with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Earlier, PPP denied rumours that the party had decided to boycott the federal budget session, stating that Bilawal would not attend the proceedings.

“The PPP has not decided to boycott the budget session. Chairman Bilawal will not participate in the budget session, but some members will. Under national interest, the PPP will be part of the budget process,” said the PPP in a post on X.

Earlier, reports had surfaced that PPP, after a meeting of its parliamentary party in Islamabad, would boycott the budget sessions ahead of the presentation of the federal budget, with Bilawal reportedly leaving Parliament and returning home.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Bilawal, “Gilgit-Baltistan election will not be snatched away.”

The government is set to unveil a massive Rs17.5 trillion (approximately $61 billion) consolidated budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 today to meet strict International Monetary Fund austerity conditions.

The high-stakes spending plan balances fiscal tightening and IMF structural directives while introducing relief measures for the poorest citizens and modest salary bumps for government workers. The budget comes as much of the population continues to feel the effects of the Iran-US war, with no indication that the conflict is easing.

The government will propose measures to raise revenue and cut spending while shielding the nation’s poorest.

Under pressure to meet austerity conditions from the International Monetary Fund, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will submit a delayed Rs17.5 trillion ($61-billion) spending plan for the fiscal year starting next month in the National Assembly.

Meeting with Dar

Soon after the rumours surfaced, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar visited Bilawal at his Parliament office, where a meeting was held. Senator Sherry Rehman and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar were also present.

National Assembly seats

The NA comprises 336 members, but with 10 seats currently vacant, the total number of sitting members stands at 326.

At present, the ruling alliance commands the support of 237 members in the National Assembly. The PML-N is the largest party in the coalition with 125 members, followed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement with 22, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid with 5, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party with 4, and one member each from the Pakistan Muslim League-Zia, the Balochistan Awami Party, and the National Party. The government also enjoys the backing of four independent members.

PPP, with 74 members, is the second-largest party within the coalition. Its support has been crucial in helping the federal government secure not only a simple majority but also a two-thirds majority when required.

On the other hand, the opposition benches have only 89 members in total. These include 75 independents, 10 members from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-Pakistan), and one member each from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).