ISLAMABAD: A PPP delegation, led by party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, expressed its reservations related to taxes during a pre-budget meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday, sources told Dawn .
The meeting was held at the Zardari House in Islamabad, an official statement by the PPP said, adding that apart from Bilawal, Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Murad Ali Shah and Jam Khan Shoro were also present.
هن چيو ته اجلاس دوران بجيٽ بابت معاملن تي غور ويچار ڪيو ويو.
The discussion also covered expenditure, development spending priorities, including the Public Sector Development Programme, as well as broader economic priorities such as fiscal sustainability, public welfare, development initiatives, and inclusive growth.
With the budget for FY2026-27 set to be announced on June 10 (Wednesday), this was the second round of pre-budget talks between the two major ruling partners, the PML-N and the PPP, and the third and final round is expected to be held on Monday.
ذريعن ڊان کي ٻڌايو ته ڊار پيپلز پارٽي کي يقين ڏياريو ته سندن تجويز کي بجيٽ ۾ شامل ڪيو ويندو.
A source told Dawn that during the previous meeting, the PPP pointed out that provinces had been asked to raise their revenue targets in order to meet the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) requirements.
آءِ ايم ايف مرڪز کي چيو آهي ته ايندڙ بجيٽ ۾ گهٽ ۾ گهٽ 430 ارب رپين جا اضافي بجيٽ اپاءَ متعارف ڪرايا وڃن، ان سان گڏ چئن صوبن پاران 430 ارب رپين جي لڳ ڀڳ برابر رقم پيدا ڪئي وڃي.
ذريعن جو چوڻ آهي ته ان سلسلي ۾ پيپلز پارٽي آچر جي اجلاس دوران ڊار کان صوبن جي ٽيڪس روينيو وڌائڻ جا طريقا پڇيا.
Separately, a PPP leader said his party was trying to reach an agreement with the ruling PML-N on fiscal measures in light of the new IMF demands, adding that they were “unhappy with the budget in its current form”.
پ پ اڳواڻ چيو ته حڪومت ٽيڪس جو دائرو وڌائڻ بدران هڪ ئي طبقن تي ٽيڪس لڳائڻ چاهي ٿي.
An insider pointed out to Dawn that IMF had set macroeconomic conditions, such as those relating to primary surplus and revenue targets, for the federal budget.
ذريعن جو چوڻ آهي ته آءِ ايم ايف به صوبن لاءِ هدف مقرر ڪري ڇڏيا آهن.
PPP leaders told Dawn they opposed new taxes and hoped the government would change its approach to taxation to provide relief to the inflation-hit masses.
One of the sources said the PPP team asserted during the meeting that the government should prefer a broader tax base instead of exerting pressure on the same tax class.
"بحث گهڻو ڪري آمدني ۽ خرچن جي چوڌاري ڦري وئي،" ذريعو شامل ڪيو.
