ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari issued a strong warning on Thursday against any reduction in funding for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), describing such moves as both regrettable and shameful. During his budget speech in the National Assembly, he commended the federal government for ultimately increasing the budget allocation for this key cash-transfer initiative.
Addressing earlier media speculation about a possible rollback of the 18th Constitutional Amendment or cuts to social safety nets, Bilawal clarified that a democratic consensus had been reached with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. He explained that under this temporary arrangement, provincial governments have legally agreed to share the financial responsibilities related to national security and defense, all within constitutional limits.
He emphasized that this is a provisional framework expected to last two to three years, with the federal government assuring that the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award formula will remain fully intact. Bilawal highlighted that provinces have generated significant cash surpluses, citing Punjab’s Rs700 billion surplus last year and Rs900 billion this year, which have been instrumental in stabilizing the country’s fragile economy.
Notably, he pointed out that Punjab could have utilized these funds for local development in underdeveloped areas such as Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan but chose to withhold spending to prioritize national macroeconomic stability. He strongly defended BISP, stressing that global financial institutions recognize it as one of the world’s most successful social welfare programs.
“The solution is to expand this programme, not eliminate it,” he asserted, expressing gratitude to the prime minister for maintaining increased allocations despite wider austerity measures. Bilawal also expressed regret that the state has not fulfilled its economic commitments to the merged tribal districts (formerly FATA). However, he acknowledged that even the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has agreed to support the federal government during this financial crisis.
Turning to regional security, Bilawal warned that South Asia remains highly unstable, specifically citing threats from New Delhi. He referenced aggressive rhetoric related to “Operation Sindoor 2.0,” linked to Indian military warnings following the brief cross-border standoff and missile exchanges in May 2025. He accused external hostile forces of continuing to sponsor terrorism within Pakistan’s borders.
Meanwhile, he pointed to a hopeful sign in global diplomacy, mentioning a recent agreement between Iran and the United States as evidence that peace is preferable to conflict—a lesson Pakistan, weary of war, understands well.
On economic strategy, Bilawal sharply criticized Pakistan’s ongoing dependence on sovereign debt, warning that the country is trapped in a cycle of borrowing new loans to repay old ones. He urged the government to adopt a growth model focused on the common people rather than wealthy landowners or elites.
“The enrichment of landlords like myself is not the development of Pakistan,” he said. “True progress lies in empowering poor farmers, laborers, and youth through targeted economic inclusion.”
Reflecting on infrastructure, the PPP chairman recalled a conversation with a foreign minister who remarked that had Pakistan prioritized the western route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and completed the Gwadar deep-sea port project on time, the revenue generated could have funded mass-transit orange trains in every major Pakistani city.
