LAHORE: In the absence of a finance minister in the province, Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz will evaluate suggestions for the Punjab budget, including the province’s yearly development plan. The conference will be led by Hamza Shahbaz and will include provincial ministers who have yet to be assigned portfolios and government officials to finalise budget suggestions. The Punjab government has called a meeting of the provincial assembly on June 13 to present the budget, but it appears unlikely that it will pass easily in the presence of Speaker Parvez Elahi, given the lack of a clear majority on both sides of the aisle following the de-selection of 25 PTI lawmakers by the Punjab government. It is worth noting that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail presented the budget for fiscal year 2022-23 (Budget 2022-23) to the National Assembly on Friday. The federal budget for 2022-23 has been revealed, with a total outlay of 9502 billion rupees, containing measures for what the government calls “sustainable economic growth, industrial and agricultural development, and alleviation for the poor.”