Provincial Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman tabled the budget in the Punjab Assembly in the presence of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The session began one hour and 41 minutes behind schedule.

Presenting the budget, the finance minister announced a 7 per cent increase in salaries for government employees and a 3.5% rise in pensions. Budget documents showed total provincial expenditures estimated at Rs3.579 trillion.

The government allocated Rs650 billion for salaries and Rs505.8 billion for pensions.

Social protection programmes were allocated Rs25 billion, while the Suthra Punjab Programme received Rs150 billion.

Operational expenditures were estimated at Rs620 billion, while Rs570 billion was earmarked for other development and capital expenditures.

The provincial government also proposed Rs900 billion for the Punjab Finance Commission to support local governments and district administrations.

Education emerged as the largest priority sector, with more than Rs900 billion allocated, while the health sector was earmarked Rs680 billion.

The budget also included funding for student-focused initiatives, including the laptop scheme, electric scooters, bicycle scheme and the Honhaar Scholarship Programme, with more than Rs20 billion set aside for these projects.

Among other welfare measures, the government proposed Rs18 billion for university grants, Rs7 billion for the Parwaaz Card programme and Rs35 billion for the Ramazan relief package.

The budget proposed Rs115 billion for local government and community development, more than Rs78 billion for transport, and Rs71 billion for housing and urban development.

Agriculture was allocated Rs60 billion, while irrigation received Rs30 billion. The government also proposed Rs15 billion for aquaculture and fisheries and Rs6.75 billion for livestock and dairy development.

For law and order and governance, Rs12.88 billion was allocated for police, Rs3 billion for the judiciary and Rs2.2 billion for law and parliamentary affairs.

The finance minister said the budget would serve as a key milestone in achieving the government’s goals of public relief, development and social protection.