ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted on Tuesday that his government prepared the annual budget for fiscal year 2024-25 under the watch of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to the current economic challenges.
In response to an opposition member’s point of order in the National Assembly, the prime minister mentioned that the IMF would provide its response today, June 25, and expressed optimism about positive outcomes.
He stated that the government’s efforts to reduce expenditures would yield tangible results within approximately six weeks. Additionally, he announced the abolition of the Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak PWD), citing significant corruption in its development budget.
The prime minister informed the House about the establishment of a rightsizing committee led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, expecting concrete outcomes within the next six weeks.
Highlighting the PML-N-led government’s commitment to the development of South Punjab, he noted that budget allocations and employment opportunities were higher than the population ratio.
Furthermore, he mentioned a 10 percent increase in allocations for the region in schemes such as laptops and the PM Rozgar program, along with an increase in stipends for female students under the Zevar Taleem Program, raised from Rs 200 to Rs 1000.
He also emphasized that the federal government had financed major infrastructure projects in South Punjab, including the Lodhran-Khanewal Motorway and the Dera Ghazi Khan-Muzaffargarh Motorway.
