• Naveed Qamar meets Aurangzeb to push for amendments
• Federal cabinet likely to approve revised Finance Bill today
• Most contentious clause involves FBR’s expanded powers
• Nearly half of NA panel’s suggestions incorporated
• PM holds one-on-one meetings with MNAs to secure support for budget

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday voiced strong reservations over a set of politically unpopular provisions in the federal budget for the next fiscal year, urging the government to amend contentious clauses ahead of its expected approval in the National Assembly today (Thursday).

Former finance minister and PPP MNA Naveed Qamar, who currently chairs the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in a bid to build consensus on key provisions of the Finance Bill 2025.

With the clock ticking down to the National Assembly’s decisive vote on the Finance Bill on Thursday, tensions within the ruling coalition have intensified. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has meanwhile ramped up individual meetings with MNAs in the lead-up to the bill’s presentation in parliament.

According to a source in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the premier has been meeting five to six MNAs daily since the budget was presented — excluding days he is abroad.

Each meeting typically lasts around 10 minutes and is aimed at ensuring parliamentary attendance and addressing individual concerns.........

© Dawn Business