It may be mentioned here that in July, the GB government had presen­ted a Rs20.478bn interim budget for the first quarter of FY27 and announced that the full-year budget would be presented after three months.

Senior Minister Moham­mad Ali Akhtar, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented the budget in the GB Assembly on Tuesday, presided over by Speaker Imran Nadeem.

He told the house that the elected government had assumed office at the end of June 2026. “Since only a very limited amount of time was available bet­w­een the end of the financial year and the beginning of the new financial year, the government had to ensure continuity of governmental affairs and the timely provision of essential expenditures.”

Therefore, he said, a three-month interim budget for the initial three months of FY27 was presented on the basis of the previous financial year. “At that time, our government clearly preferred to take the necessary time rather than present a full-year budget, so that the annual budget would not merely be a collection of figures, but could truly reflect the genuine needs, priorities and aspirations of the people,” he added.

Mr Akhtar said the budget was, placing special emphasis on education, health, basic infrastructure and the welfare of the underprivileged segment of society. He said the total budget was estimated at approximately Rs218.845bn, with Rs43.97bn allocated for development and Rs149.87bn for non-development expenditure. He said the volume of the GB budget reached Rs218bn when the federal government’s stabilisation package was included.

He said tax revenues were targeted at Rs16.98bn, while efforts were under way to secure the required funds from the federal government to meet the budget deficit of Rs52.65bn.

He said the size of ADP had been increased from Rs22bn to Rs23bn, while the amount allocated under the federal PSDP had been increased from Rs15bn to Rs20.973bn, including Rs4bn under PM’s package.

The minister said the wheat subsidy fund that had been reduced to Rs15bn was raised to Rs22bn. The estimated revenue from wheat sale was Rs3bn, he added.

He said GB had requested a special stabilisation package of around Rs153.30bn from the federal government for economic and administrative stability.

“Under this package, targets have been set for the stability of local governments, law and order, education, health, tourism, compensation for flood losses, municipal services, food supply, e-governance, tourism, agriculture, climate change, institutional capacity building, and clearing various liabilities,” he said.

The minister said the minimum wage for employees in all government and non-government institutions had been raised from Rs40,000 to Rs44,000. He said Rs63.57bn had been allocated for salaries, while Rs1.048bn had been set aside for education.

“For the first time in history, Rs1bn has been allocated for social protection, and a proposal has been made to establish a Rs4bn endowment fund for the social sector,” he added.

Mr Akhtar said climate funds were previously earmarked within development projects, but in practice, no actual deductions were being made for this purpose. For the first time, one per cent of development funds would be diverted to a consolidated account, he added.

In light of climate change concerns, the GB government had decided to procure hybrid vehicles for government departments and auction off older vehicles that con­sumed excessive fuel, he said. The minister also ann­ounced that the non-development budgets of all departments were being reduced by 30pc.

He said substantial funds had been allocated for improving the health, education and agriculture sectors. These included an increase of Rs170m for the procurement of medicines, and the establishment of a health endowment fund. He said Rs50m had been allocated for water management to promote the agriculture sector and Rs50m for agriculture sector reform initiatives.

“Rs50m for loans for youth, Rs50m for local bodies elections and Rs50m for renovation of local bodies offices have been allocated. Rs78m has been allocated for water and power department and Rs18m for tourism department,” he said. For development projects in 10 districts, Rs5.034bn has been allocated.

Earlier, a GB cabinet meeting approved the budget.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2026

• Dar reaffirms Pakistan’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty
• DPM, Grossi discuss regional situation, Islamabad MoU
• Programme for upcoming UNGA session reviewed

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Lebanese counterpart, Ahmed Al-Hajjar, on Tuesday agreed to enhance cooperation in security, counterterrorism, anti-narcotics efforts, illegal immigration, money laundering, and cybercrime prevention.

The two ministers held a one-on-one meeting, followed by delegation-level talks. They discussed ways to promote collaboration between police academies and training programmes, the regional situation, and Pakistan’s efforts to promote sustainable peace in the region.

It was decided that an MoU would soon be signed to promote mutual cooperation between the two interior ministries. Both sides agreed to share intelligence to effectively combat terrorism, drug trafficking, and emerging security challenges. They also decided to fully implement the existing anti-narcotics MoU. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral ties. They also discussed providing visa-free entry facilities for holders of diplomatic and official passports between the two countries.

Also, Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar called on Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and discussed bilateral cooperation. Mr Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Meanwhile, DPM Dar discussed with Ambassador Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a candidate for UN Secretary-General the evolving regional situation and agreed that the implementation of the Islamabad MoU remained the best course of action to defuse regional tensions.

Ambassador Grossi offered technical support should the need arise.

Also, DPM Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting on Tuesday to review the programme for the upcoming 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The foreign secretary and UN special secretary briefed the deputy PM on the proposed programme, including high-level engagements, bilateral meetings, and other key engagements on the sidelines of the UNGA session.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2026

IHC Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro granted the interim relief while hearing a constitutional petition filed by Dr Imadud Din’s wife, Mehar Zahoor, a Pakistani citizen, who challenged a notification issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) seeking the repatriation of Afghan students enrolled in medical and dental institutions.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Barrister Qasim Nawaz Abbasi, argued that the PMDC communication dated July 31, 2026, could not be applied retrospectively to doctors already undergoing training.

He contended that the petitioner’s husband was not a fresh applicant but an already enrolled trainee in the fifth year of his FCPS-II training in urology at Quaid-i-Azam Medical College (QAMC) and Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), Bahawalpur.

BHC dismisses petitions by Afghan medical students; notes they don’t have absolute right to remain, study in Pakistan

The counsel informed the court that the competent authority at QAMC, on the recommendation of the head of department, had formally granted Dr Imadud Din an extension in his postgraduate training from Feb 28, 2026, to Feb 27, 2027.

Barrister Abbasi argued that the impugned communication directed institutions to initiate measures for the repatriation of Afghan students, a move that would cause irreparable professional and financial loss to the petitioner’s family, which included two children.

He maintained that while the petitioner did not object to future policies regulating admissions, trainees already enrolled and those granted extensions should be permitted to complete their training.

The counsel emphasised that terminating Dr Imadud Din’s training without prior notice or a meaningful opportunity of hearing violated constitutional guarantees under Articles 4, 9, 10-A, 14 and 35.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Soomro suspended the operation of the impugned communication to the extent of its application to Dr Imadud Din and restrained the respondents from terminating, discontinuing or obstructing his ongoing postgraduate training solely based on the PMDC letter.

The court adjourned the proceedings and issued notices to the secretary of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the president and registrar of the PMDC, the principal of Quaid-i-Azam Medical College, and the secretary of Punjab’s Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, seeking their responses.

BHC dismisses pleas

Meanwhile, the Balochistan High Court on Tuesday dismissed constitutional petitions seeking permission for Afghan nationals to continue medical and dental education, as well as postgraduate training, in Pakistan.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri announced the verdict on two petitions filed by Afghan students, upholding the state policy concerning the stay and education of foreign nationals in Pakistan.

The court held that foreign nationals did not have an absolute or permanent right to remain, study or undergo professional training in Pakistan in a manner contrary to state policy.

The bench also declined to interfere with directions issued by the PMDC concerning the admission, transfer and facilitation of Afghan nationals in medical institutions.

The court observed that matters relating to immigration, the return of foreign nationals and national security primarily fell within the domain of the executive authorities.

However, it stressed that Afghan nationals must be treated with human dignity and fairness and in accordance with the law. The petitions were dismissed at the preliminary stage.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: With Gulf energy transit routes effectively closed and fuel prices spiralling, members of the federal cabinet on Tuesday sounded the alarm regarding the energy situation in the country — both in terms of fuel supplies and power generation — while maintaining that things could have been much worse, if not for prudent planning on the government’s part.

Giving a rundown of the way disruptions in the Hormuz and Bab El-Mandeb straits could have exacerbated prevailing shortages, Energy Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik highlighted how skyrocketing prices on the international oil market were testing the government’s ability to absorb such price shocks.

Meanwhile, the National Steering Com­mittee on Fuel Subsidy — chaired by Deputy PM Ishaq Dar — ordered that payments to fuel stations under the PM’s sch­eme be processed within 24 hours, while directing provinces to complete dist­rict-level outreach to ensure seamless delivery of relief to the intended beneficiaries.

According to an official statement, the meeting was held to review the nationwide rollout of the PM’s Fuel Relief Scheme, and noted that following a successful pilot in the capital, the scheme would be extended countrywide from midnight tonight, i.e. between Wedn­esday and Thursday.

Absorbing price shocks

Addressing a press conference in the capital, the climate change minister linked the recent increase in fuel prices to the upward movement in international crude oil prices, which had crossed the $100 per barrel threshold once again.

The price of oil has not come down and the US/Israel-Iran war has not stopped, he said, adding that the government was seeking to absorb part of the external sho­ck to protect vulnerable segments of society, referring to the PM’s Fuel Relief Scheme.

Under the scheme, motorcyclists would receive five litres of subsidised petrol every week, while car owners would be entitled to 10 litres every 10 days.

The minister clarified that the petroleum levy was Rs80 per litre and the carbon levy Rs5, making a combined Rs85, while the relief announced under the scheme was Rs100 per litre.

He conceded that the relief being provided was still insufficient to fully offset the impact of high fuel prices, but maintained that this burden was the most the national economy could currently absorb.

Giving an example, Dr Musadik said delivery riders had been particularly affected by higher petrol prices as they continued to travel the same distances to deliver food and other goods while their fuel costs had increased substantially.

He said a relief of Rs2,000 could make a significant difference to a low-income delivery riders household by helping meet basic expenses such as food, milk and eggs.

The minister also cited the example of a woman who drives a Qingqi rickshaw to support her family. He said the Rs2,000 monthly fuel relief could help her meet her child’s school fee.

Another beneficiary, drives an 800cc car to a factory while his wife uses the same vehicle to take their children to school. He would receive relief on up to 30 litres of petrol, amounting to Rs3,000 a month, he added.

In a separate statement, the energy minister echoed his cabinet colleague’s warnings about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that despite fuel shortages, Pakistan was able to keep its power plants whirring thanks to maximum utilisation of domestic resources.

In August 2026, 72 per cent of total electricity generation was sourced from domestic resources, including hydel (38pc), local coal (11pc), nuclear (10pc), local gas (7pc), wind (6pc) and solar energy (1pc), while only 28pc came from imported coal and RLNG, he said.

Mr Leghari said that due to disruptions in the RLNG supply chain, spot cargo prices had risen to $23.25 per MMBtu, which was exceptionally high.

In these circumstances, he said, steps taken on the PM’s directives to arrange additional domestic gas for the power sector made it possible to avoid purchasing expensive RLNG.

If domestic gas had not been available, the power sector would have faced an additional hour of load shedding, he said. Moreover, generation through furnace oil or imported RLNG would have increased overall consumer tariffs by around Rs 10.6bn.

Lockdown rumours

Fuel prices continued to spiral, with both petrol and diesel witnessing Rs4 and Rs6 increase on Tuesday night. The series of steep increases over the past three days, taken together with Information Minister Atta Tarar’s hint that austerity measures may be reintroduced in view of the developing situation, sparked speculation about possible lockdown-style measures being imposed.

However, both Musadik Malik and his cabinet colleague Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry brushed aside these reports, with the former insisting that no discussions about ‘smart lockdowns’ had taken place, and the latter flat out refuting all such speculation.

The government had already imposed a similar smart lockdown in the country in April with the help of provincial governments when the US-Iran war started. During that period, shops and markets were closed at 8pm.

Interestingly, sources close to PM Shahbaz told Dawn that the premier met his elder brother Nawaz Sharif at the Murree hill resort on Tuesday, with the possibility of imposing measures such as ‘smart lockdown’ being on the agenda. However, there was no official word on the meeting from PM Office or PML-N.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2026