Budget talks between the government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have failed to make progress, with differences on budget proposals still unresolved, sources said on Wednesday.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, the latest round of negotiations ended without any breakthrough. The matter is now expected to be taken up at the senior leadership level of both parties.
Sources added that a high-level meeting between the two sides is likely in the coming days, where Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to meet PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari to try to narrow the differences.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to convene the budget session on June 10, and officials say the federal budget will be presented on the same date regardless of the outcome of negotiations.
Government sources also claim that PPP has been assured no major legislation will be introduced before the budget session. The budget will reportedly be presented after the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting, which is expected to be held following Bilawal Bhutto’s return to Islamabad from Gilgit-Baltistan.
It is worth noting that the government had earlier postponed its plan to present the federal budget on June 5. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has stated that efforts will be made to avoid introducing any new taxes in the upcoming budget.
