Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has presented a record Rs3,450 billion budget for the fiscal year 2025–26. He announced that the province plans to complete 1,460 development schemes this year, a significant jump from 603 last year. The chief minister emphasized that if the federal government releases full funds, the development budget may increase further. Last year, Sindh faced a shortfall in federal transfers, which affected the province’s financial planning.
The development budget has been set at Rs1,018 billion, with major allocations going to education, health, and infrastructure. Education received an 18% boost, while the health sector saw an 11% rise. Additionally, the local government’s budget increased by 5%, reaching Rs132 billion. The irrigation department will get Rs43 billion, and agriculture was also prioritized with a Rs16 billion increase. The energy and home departments received more than 15% increases in their allocations.
The chief minister said that current expenses would be Rs2,150 billion, with salaries and pensions taking the largest share. Monthly salary costs are around Rs100 billion, and the annual total will reach Rs1,100 billion. Despite financial pressure, the government has decided to raise salaries by 12% for employees in Grades 1 to 16 and by 10% for Grades 17 to 22. These increases fall under non-development spending.
Murad Ali Shah expressed concern over the federal government’s lack of timely fund transfers. He shared that Sindh was informed just one day before the budget that Rs105 billion would be withheld. Since last year, Sindh has received Rs1,478 billion from the divisible pool—Rs422 billion less than expected. He urged the federal government to release the remaining funds by June to avoid further setbacks.
Shah reminded that Pakistan is under an IMF program, which limits spending and requires provinces to save more. He also criticized the opposition for disrupting the budget session and questioned their intentions. This marks the 17th consecutive budget presented by the PPP government in Sindh. The chief minister also strongly condemned Israel’s actions, adding a political and global context to the session.