PPP supporting Finance Bill 2025-26 after their demands are accepted: Bilawal
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday announced his party’s support for the federal budget after the government accepted all key demands put forward by the PPP during negotiations, reported 24NewsHDTV Channel.
Addressing National Assembly budget session, Bilawal said his party was satisfied with the government's response to its proposals and would therefore vote in favour of the budget. “We are happy to support this budget because our demands have been accepted,” he said, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb for accommodating the PPP’s input.
Among the key concessions secured by the party was a 20 per cent increase in allocations for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) — a flagship initiative launched during the PPP’s previous tenure.
“The BISP amount was reduced during the PTI era, but we insisted that support for the poorest segments of society be enhanced,” the PPP chairman said.
He also welcomed the reduction of tax on solar panels by 50 per cent, stating that the move would make renewable energy more accessible to households and small businesses. “All our demands related to solar were accepted, which is a positive step,” he noted.
Another significant demand raised by the PPP involved limiting the powers of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to arrest individuals over tax-related matters. Bilawal said the government had agreed to declare such arrests as bailable, addressing concerns over potential misuse of authority.
He added that tax relief for the salaried class was also incorporated into the budget following recommendations made by his party.
“This is a budget that includes our input,” the former foreign minister said. The announcement from the PPP comes as a significant boost for the ruling coalition, which has faced criticism over proposed tax measures and economic reforms under tough IMF-driven fiscal constraints.