Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, Barrister Danyal Chaudhry, on Wednesday underscored the Federal Budget 2025–26 as a critical step forward in advancing Pakistan’s commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking at a briefing session titled “Sustainable Development Goals in Focus: A Critical Post-Budget Analysis” held at the Parliament House, Barrister Danyal participated in his capacity as a member of the Parliamentary SDGs Taskforce.
In his address, he praised the new budget for its clear alignment with the SDGs and highlighted key measures that directly support sustainable development.
Chief among these was the expansion of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), with allocations increased by 20% to Rs7.16 billion, now benefiting nearly 10 million households. He described this as a “decisive step” toward achieving SDG 1 (No Poverty).
Barrister Danyal also emphasized the government’s prudent fiscal management, which he said has enabled significant fiscal space by reducing current expenditures, lowering the debt-servicing burden from 60% to 47%, and bringing down the policy rate from 22% to 11%.
“This space,” he noted, “is being strategically redirected towards development initiatives,” particularly in sectors that advance SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
Further highlighting the budget’s pro-people and growth-oriented focus, he pointed to the reduction in income tax for the salaried class from 5% to 2.5%, which aligns with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
He also commended the landmark reform of the tax-filing system, calling the shift from 800 data columns to just 7 basic inputs a major stride toward ease of doing business and enhanced economic formalization.
“This budget demonstrates a practical translation of our SDG commitments into fiscal policy,” Barrister Danyal concluded. “By strategically reallocating resources towards poverty eradication, infrastructure, social protection, and economic simplification, we are laying a stronger foundation for sustainable and equitable development for all Pakistanis.”
