Sindh Assembly passes Rs3.652 trillion budget, rejects 1,600 opposition cut motions

The Sindh Assembly on Sunday night passed the provincial budget for FY2026-27 with a total outlay of Rs3.652 trillion, along with supplementary grants worth Rs165 billion.

As per media reports, the House also approved the provincial Finance Bill, which does not impose any new taxes. All 1,600 cut motions moved by opposition lawmakers were rejected.

During the proceedings, the opposition moved cut motions against allocations for the National Games and the Mera Lyari film project. The chief minister opposed both motions, saying Chief of Defence Forces General Asim Munir had attended the National Games as chief guest, while Mera Lyari presented a positive image of Sindh. The House rejected both motions.

MQM-P member Sabir Qaimkhani also moved an amendment to impose an 8% super tax on annual agricultural income above Rs50 million. The chief minister opposed the proposal, saying the federal government had also reduced the super tax on agricultural income because people in agriculture generally did not earn at that level. The amendment was rejected.

Winding up the budget debate, the chief minister defended the Rs3.652 trillion budget and said the province had maintained fiscal discipline despite a Rs344 billion deficit, reduced federal fiscal space and additional expenditures of more than Rs95 billion during the outgoing year.

He said the government had completed nearly 100 major development projects, achieved wheat self-sufficiency for the first time in Sindh’s history, expanded social protection programmes and continued spending on public services.

The chief minister announced an Annual Development Programme of Rs720 billion for FY2026-27, including Rs206 billion for Karachi, and said more than 1,800 development schemes would be completed across the province.

He also announced plans to develop Keti Bandar as an economic and logistics hub through public-private partnerships, establish a Sindh International Financial Centre, build a province-wide green energy network and introduce a new agriculture financing framework for small farmers.

The chief minister said education and health allocations had been increased, while administrative expenditure had been reduced by more than Rs62 billion to redirect resources towards development, social welfare, infrastructure and economic growth.

He also disputed claims about Karachi’s development spending during previous local government administrations. Referring to former city mayor Mustafa Kamal, he said records showed projects worth around Rs33 billion, not Rs300 billion as cited during the debate.

He criticised successive federal governments for announcing development packages for Karachi that were not fully implemented, saying one government announced a Rs62 billion package but released virtually none of the promised funds.

Leader of the Opposition criticised the budget, saying the Pakistan Peoples Party government lacked vision and had failed to meet the expectations of ordinary citizens, workers and farmers.

He also questioned the supplementary budget and objected to Rs970 million allocated for an information technology park project in Multan, asking why Sindh’s tax resources were being spent outside the province.

During the session, the Speaker informed the House that 141 of the Assembly’s 168 members had participated in the budget debate, which continued for more than 36 hours.

The Sindh Assembly session was prorogued after approval of the budget and Finance Bill.