Punjab Budget 2025–26: Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman unveiled the provincial budget of Rs5.3 trillion for the fiscal year 2025–26 during a Punjab Assembly session held on Monday.
Despite protests from opposition benches, the minister outlined a comprehensive and ambitious financial plan focusing on development, social welfare, and economic modernization.
Rehman opened his speech with patriotic undertones, paying tribute to the armed forces and condemning global injustices. He emphasized that the new budget reflects Punjab’s entry into a modern era of governance and public service delivery. According to him, the government has kept overall expenditure growth to just 6% compared to the previous year—demonstrating efforts to maintain fiscal restraint.
A significant portion of the budget, Rs 2,706.5 billion, has been earmarked for non-development expenses including employee salaries, pensions, and service-related costs. However, what truly stands out is the record Rs 1,240 billion development budget—an unprecedented move aimed at uplifting multiple sectors.
Here is a detailed overview of Punjab Budget 2025–26:
Education: Investment in the Future
The education sector is a clear priority, with Rs 148 billion allocated for development-related education initiatives. This includes:
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Rs 15 billion in scholarships for high-performing students
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Rs 5.9 billion for the continuation of the Undergraduate Scholarship Programme
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Rs 40 billion for constructing additional classrooms in government schools
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Rs 35 billion for the Education Delivery Programme, aimed at expanding access for low-income families, including financial assistance to private institutions educating underprivileged children
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Rs 7 billion to expand the School Meal Programme to eight districts, and an additional Rs 1.5 billion for special education institutions
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Construction of 8 new women’s colleges to promote gender equity in education
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Rs 25 billion to support university-level infrastructure and development projects
Over 50,000 laptops have been distributed so far under the youth empowerment programme, and more than 400,000 children are now receiving milk in schools to support health and attendance.
Healthcare Advancements
Healthcare remains a major priority, receiving Rs 181 billion for development and Rs 450 billion for non-development allocations. Highlights include:
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Nawaz Sharif Institute for Advanced Cancer Treatment to receive Rs 14 billion
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Rs 12 billion for continued work on a Rs 72 billion cancer hospital
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Conversion of Basic Health Units (BHUs) into modern Maryam Health Clinics to expand primary healthcare
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New cardiology institutes like the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha and Jinnah Institute of Cardiology
Social Support and Infrastructure
A number of new schemes aim to address the needs of underprivileged citizens and regional development:
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Rs 85.5 billion for the Apna Ghar Apni Chhat affordable housing project
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Rs 17 billion for Murree Development Programme, boosting tourism and civic facilities
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Rs 5.6 billion to expand the Safe City Project to 19 districts
Women Empowerment & Youth Initiatives
A progressive aspect of the budget is its focus on digital and economic empowerment for women and youth:
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Introduction of modern IT courses for women to improve digital literacy
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Under the Easy Business and Easy Business Finance schemes, Rs 19 billion in loans have been issued to young entrepreneurs
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Rs 6.1 billion allocated under the Khelta Punjab Programme, promoting sports, including High-Performance Cricket Centres in Sialkot and Faisalabad
Agriculture and Environment
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Rs 4.4 billion allocated for the Livestock Card initiative to provide financial assistance to livestock farmers
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Procurement of eco-friendly buses worth Rs 46 billion to promote green public transport; 27 green buses are already operational in Lahore
Legislative Activity and Opposition’s Reaction
Despite a constrained timeline, the Punjab Assembly managed to pass five of the seven proposed bills during its first session. These include:
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Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism Punjab Bill
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Punjab Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2025
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Boilers and Pressure Vessels (Amendment) Bill 2025
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Specialized Medical Institutions Punjab (Amendment) Bill 2025
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Punjab Awareness and Information Provision Bill 2025
The Opposition, however, voiced serious concerns, particularly over the introduction of a bill that, according to them, restricts public accountability. They argued that the new law centralizes complaint processes under the Director General of Public Relations and the provincial Secretary, whose decisions cannot be challenged in court. “When you have public support, you don’t need such bills,” said the Opposition Leader.
In his closing remarks, the finance minister boasted that 6,104 development projects had been completed in the past year alone, adding that not a single corruption scandal had tainted any of them. He credited this success to transparent governance and visionary leadership, including Maryam Nawaz’s role in steering Punjab during recent crises.
