KP budget in limbo amid PTI inta-party rift

PESHAWAR- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is set to present the budget for the fiscal year 2025–26 today (Thursday), but internal divisions within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the process.Reports indicated that a dissident faction within PTI, along with several other lawmakers, was prepared to boycott the budget session.
Former provincial minister Shakeel Khan told Dunya News that if the budget is tabled without consultation with the PTI founder, Imran Khan, it would be rejected by him and others. He expressed concerns that the budget may have been drafted under IMF pressure and without input from the party’s senior leadership.According to party insiders, the Imran Khan had directed that senior figures such as Adviser on Finance, former finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Atif Khan, and Junaid Akbar be consulted during budget formulation. However, these leaders were reportedly sidelined, prompting strong reactions from several assembly members.
Sources also revealed that due to these internal disputes, the budget’s approval in the provincial assembly is now at risk. While the budget has been prepared without consultation with the Imran Khan, discontented members have agreed to obstruct its passage.Many legislators remain uncertain whether the budget should be tabled at all without the party founder’s approval.