Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb rejected opposition objections to the federal budget on Saturday, saying claims of discrepancies in budget documents were based on “incorrect interpretation.”
Aurangzeb made the remarks while winding up the budget debate in the National Assembly. He said gross domestic product and other key indicators were presented before the National Accounts Committee.
The minister said the committee included representatives from all provinces, the federal government and relevant institutions. He said some lawmakers raised reservations, but the budget process remained transparent.
Aurangzeb thanked the lawmakers for participating in the debate, including Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai. He also named Finance Committee heads Saleem Mandviwala and Naveed Qamar.
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The finance minister said standing committees reviewed budget proposals and forwarded recommendations. He said some recommendations would be included in the Finance Bill 2026.
Aurangzeb said industries were operating smoothly, the current account was in surplus and export performance was improving. He said IT exports had risen by 20%.
The minister said the government collected $14 billion in additional revenue over the past two years. He called it a record since 1988.
He said the government was providing Rs300 billion in interest-free loans to small farmers. Around 750,000 small farmers would benefit from the programme, he added.
Aurangzeb said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had set the economic direction in the previous budget. He said that direction helped stabilise the economy.
