• Energy, PDMA and BSDI receive major allocations • Rs28.35bn earmarked for energy sector; development spending exceeds Rs58bn
QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Saturday approved the province’s supplementary budget of over Rs119 billion for the fiscal year 2025-26, without debate and without any cut motions being moved against the demands for grants.
Soon after the session began, with Speaker retired Captain Abdul Khaliq Achakzai in the chair, opposition members sought to debate the supplementary budget. However, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti asked members to first approve the budget, saying discussion could take place later.
The speaker then directed Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani to move the demands for grants. Mr Nosherwani presented 46 demands for grants one by one, including 21 related to non-development expenditure and 25 concerning development expenditure.
No opposition member moved a cut motion against either development or non-development expenditure as the finance minister tabled all 46 demands in the house.
The supplementary budget comprised more than Rs61.29 billion in non-development expenditure and over Rs58.19bn in development expenditure. All 46 supplementary grant demands were approved during the session.
Presenting the budget, the finance minister moved 21 supplementary demands for non-development expenditure amounting to more than Rs61bn.
The allocations covered key departments, including health, energy, irrigation, transport, industries and commerce, fisheries, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and the Board of Revenue.
Among the major allocations, over Rs28.35bn was approved for the energy department, Rs12.67bn for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rs5.40bn for the health department. Additional funds were allocated to the sports and youth affairs, science and information technology, culture and tourism departments, as well as the provincial ombudsman.
The house unanimously approved all non-development expenditure demands.
The finance minister also tabled 25 supplementary demands for development expenditure totalling more than Rs58.19 billion. These included allocations for the communications and works (C&W), public health engineering, colleges and higher education, health, forest and wildlife, local government, transport, school education, women development and urban planning departments.
Major development al-locations included Rs10.66bn for C&W projects, Rs16.03bn for multi-departmental schemes and Rs18.64bn for the Balochistan Special Development Initiative (BSDI).
The supplementary budget is intended to meet urgent financial requirements and accelerate development projects across the province before the close of the fiscal year on June 30.
Following approval of all supplementary demands, the assembly session was adjourned.
Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026
