Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has handed budget-making responsibility to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, sidelining Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb after initial proposals failed to meet his expectations.
Why the Shift?
According to Beyond Time News, the Tax Policy Office presented budget proposals to the Prime Minister twice but fell short on both occasions. A Dar-led committee has now been formed to finalise tax policy, with Aurangzeb reduced to an ordinary member.
IMF Targets
Under Pakistan’s IMF agreement, the government must deliver Rs430 billion in budget measures — split equally between new taxes and enforcement. Dar’s committee will handle the tax side, while Ahad Khan Cheema leads a separate enforcement committee focused on modernising FBR operations and introducing AI-based tools to curb tax evasion.
Finance Minister Discusses Budget and Economic Reform with IMF
Budget After Eid
The budget will be presented in the National Assembly soon after Eid, pending approval from both Dar and the IMF. With such a broad mandate, virtually every major budget decision now runs through Dar — a seasoned politician who has served as finance minister four times.
IMF Talks
Finance Minister Aurangzeb separately briefed the visiting IMF mission, led by Iva Petrova, on Pakistan’s economic outlook and reform agenda. The IMF urged the government to maintain fiscal discipline ahead of the upcoming budget.
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