PPP Directs Lawmakers to Support Federal Budget After Key Demands Met

Public sector employees also stand to benefit from PPP’s lobbying efforts.

By DTD- On Jun 26, 2025

Islamabad — The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has officially instructed its Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) to vote in favor of the federal budget during today’s critical session of the National Assembly, following the acceptance of several of the party’s major demands by the government.

The directive came during a PPP parliamentary party meeting held in the National Assembly, chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Prominent party leaders, including Asifa Bhutto Zardari, were in attendance.

According to sources, Bilawal was briefed in detail on the government’s amendments to the Finance Bill in light of PPP’s recommendations. As a result of these negotiations, the PPP leadership expressed satisfaction with the budgetary changes and gave the green light for party members to back the budget.

Among the concessions secured by PPP is a 20% increase in the budget for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) — a key social safety initiative that remains central to the party’s political platform.

The government has also agreed to cut proposed taxes on solar panels by nearly 50%, addressing concerns raised by PPP regarding the burden on clean energy consumers. Moreover, the government withdrew stringent amendments related to the powers of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) that had been a point of contention.

Public sector employees also stand to benefit from PPP’s lobbying efforts. The federal government has agreed to a 10% salary increase for government employees and a 7% pension raise, alongside adjustments in income tax slabs to provide relief to the salaried class.

Another notable success for the party is the restoration of budget allocations for universities in Sindh, which had faced cuts in earlier drafts. The reinstatement follows sustained advocacy by PPP legislators concerned about higher education funding in the province.

The National Assembly is set to vote on the Finance Bill later today. With PPP now on board, the government appears to have secured a comfortable majority for the bill’s passage.