The intensifying rift within the ruling coalition over the federal budget has laid bare the dysfunction at the heart of Pakistan’s political establishment. As PML-N and PPP exchange barbs over development funds and tax measures, the country is once again forced to watch its leadership unravel when unity and clarity are most needed. But if the coalition’s cracks are glaring, the opposition’s silence is just as damning.
The PPP’s public discontent is now unmistakable. Its lawmakers are accusing the federal government of sidelining Sindh, pointing to a development budget that grants Punjab Rs1.27 trillion compared to Sindh’s Rs700 billion. These disparities strike at the spirit of federalism and stoke regional resentment. Adding to the fire is the 18% GST on solar panels: a baffling move at a time when Pakistan urgently needs to expand renewable energy access. If the coalition cannot agree on basic policy direction, how can it hope to navigate an economy on the brink?
Yet the PML-N, rather than addressing legitimate concerns, seems intent on consolidating influence within Punjab; a strategy that may win short-term gains but at the expense of long-term cohesion.
Amid this dysfunction, the opposition (led by PTI and its allies) has offered little more than opportunistic jeering. With no alternative budget proposals, no serious economic roadmaps, and no parliamentary strategy beyond disruption, opposition parties appear more interested in political point-scoring than responsible leadership. While the government flounders, the opposition continues to squander its mandate to hold it meaningfully accountable.
Is this really the behavior of parties serious about public service? The country faces surging inflation, a stagnating economy, and mounting IMF pressures. Millions are slipping below the poverty line. Energy shortages are growing. And yet, instead of unity, vision, or even competent disagreement, Pakistan is stuck with a rudderless coalition and an absent opposition.
There is still time to change course. The coalition must prioritise inclusive policymaking, correct regional imbalances, and reverse ill-conceived tax measures. At the same time, the opposition must rise above petty politics and present concrete alternatives. Hopefully, they do not need a reminder as to how governance is not a spectator sport and requires presence, policy, and purpose.
If all sides continue to treat the budget as a partisan battleground rather than a national instrument, they risk not just political fallout but institutional collapse. In the end, it is the people who pay the price for this bipartisan failure.
