]Balochistan approves Rs119bn supplementary budget without debate

• Energy, PDMA and BSDI receive major allocations
• Rs28.35bn allocated to energy sector; development spending totals Rs58bn

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Saturday, without debate or opposition motions, approved the province’s supplementary budget of over Rs119 billion for the fiscal year 2025-26 under the chairmanship of retired Captain Abdul Khaliq Achakzai.

Despite opposition members attempting to initiate discussions early in the session, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti instructed members to prioritize budget approval, deferring debates to a later date.

Speaker Achakzai directed Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani to present 46 demands for grants, which included 21 non-development and 25 development expenditures. No cut motions were filed as all demands were tabled during the session.

The supplementary budget includes Rs61.29 billion for non-development expenditures and Rs58.19 billion for development expenditures. Both categories were approved unanimously.

Finance Minister Nosherwani submitted 21 non-development demands, totaling over Rs61 billion, covering health, energy, irrigation, transport, industries and commerce, fisheries, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, and the Board of Revenue.

Key energy allocations included Rs28.35 billion, while the PDMA received Rs12.67 billion and the health department Rs5.40 billion. Additional funds were allocated to sports and youth affairs, science and information technology, culture and tourism departments, as well as the provincial ombudsman.

All non-development expenditure demands were approved unanimously. Development expenditure demands, totaling Rs58.19 billion, included projects under communications and works (C&W), public health engineering, higher education institutions, health services, forest and wildlife conservation, local governance, transport infrastructure, school education, women development initiatives, and urban planning.

Major development allocations included Rs10.66 billion for C&W projects, Rs16.03 billion for multi-departmental initiatives, and Rs18.64 billion for the Balochistan Special Development Initiative.

The supplementary budget aims to address urgent financial requirements and accelerate critical development projects ahead of the fiscal year’s conclude on June 30.

Following the approval of all supplementary grant demands, the assembly session was adjourned.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026

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