PESHAWAR
Opposition parties in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have jointly demanded the immediate presentation of the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2026–27, warning that any further delay or attempt to present an interim budget would be strongly resisted inside and outside the assembly.
The demand was made during a joint consultative meeting of opposition parties held in the opposition chamber of the KP Assembly here on Monday.
Representatives from the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and other opposition groups attended the meeting, where the province’s constitutional and political situation was reviewed in detail.
Opposition Leader in the KP Assembly, Dr Ibadullah Khan, said the provincial government was constitutionally bound under Article 120 to present the budget on time, adding that any delay amounted to depriving the people of their rights. He termed the non-presentation of the budget “unacceptable” and urged the government to immediately announce a date for its tabling.
He maintained that the opposition would not support any unconstitutional move, warning that a proposed interim budget would be firmly opposed. Dr Ibadullah further stated that “the province cannot be run on political considerations,” adding that public interest and constitutional requirements must be prioritised.
Referring to internal political matters of the ruling party, he said linking the budget process to political issues was inappropriate. He also claimed that the ruling party had lost its numerical majority in the assembly, asserting that governance should not be affected by political developments.
The opposition leaders reiterated their joint resolve to defend constitutional norms, democratic principles and public interest, and warned of a strong collective response if the budget was not presented without further delay.
