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ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday postponed the announcement of the federal budget 2025-26 by more than a week to June 10 amid inconclusive discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on some of the critical fiscal measures and to avoid the Eid break during the budget session.

Informed sources said the visiting IMF staff mission had multiple rounds of discussion on Friday, including a wrap-up session with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

The minister’s adviser, Khurram Schehzad, confirmed that the federal budget for the next year will be presented on June 10, and the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25 will be released on June 9. Earlier, the budget announcement was set for June 2.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told Dawn that discussions with the IMF had just concluded, and it was thought that the budget announcement should be made soon after Eid holidays to ensure continuity of the budget session.

Sources said there was also a view that it would be difficult for the government to recollect a sufficient number of members of parliament from their hometowns for the budget debate if the budget was announced before Eid which is likely to fall on June 7.

Therefore, the budget announcement would be immediately followed by a comprehensive debate in the house and enable standing committees on finance to read through budget proposals and give their input before its passage by the two houses, well before June 30.

Also, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was leaving for a whirlwind visit to Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Iran, and some other friendly countries in Central Asia and the Middle East, and would be unable to personally indulge........

© Dawn Business