Pakistan’s Finance Minister Unveils ‘Strategic’ FY2025–26 Budget Plans

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced that Pakistan’s upcoming federal budget for FY2025–26 will be a “strategic budget,” emphasizing long-term economic transformation over mere fiscal balancing. He highlighted the need to change the “DNA” of the economy through bold measures that provide clear direction. Aurangzeb noted a reduction in debt servicing costs by a trillion rupees and plans to modernize the debt management office. The government aims to restructure the economy by focusing on taxation reforms, digitalization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and rightsizing the federal government. The budget announcement, initially scheduled for May 31, has been postponed to June 10 following inconclusive talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) .