LAHORE: Finance Minister Punjab Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman presented the province’s Rs5, 335 billion budget for the fiscal year 2025-26.

Before the assembly session, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved the provincial budget. The opposition lawmakers staged a protest inside the assembly, gathering in front of the Speaker’s dais.

According to official budget documents, salaries of government employees have been increased by 10 percent while pensions of retired employees have been raised by 5 percent.

The budget allocates Rs. 811.8 billion for education, Rs. 630.5 billion for healthcare, Rs. 411 billion for local government, and Rs. 129.5 billion for agriculture.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz expressed satisfaction that no new taxes were imposed in the provincial budget, marking the second consecutive year of tax relief for the public.

Meanwhile, Punjab Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb stated that the total volume of the budget stands at Rs. 5,335 billion, with no increase in existing tax rates or introduction of new taxes.

She highlighted that the development budget for the upcoming fiscal year is set at Rs. 1,240 billion. The budget also outlines a roadmap to expand Punjab’s tax net, and a detailed expenditure report of every rupee spent over the past year will be presented for transparency.