Budget 2024: PPP 'decides' not to back down from its demands 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party has decided not to compromise on their budget 2024-25 demands, ARY News reported citing sources.

According to sources, PPP has been in talks with the government to resolve the issue, but the negotiations have not yielded any results.

The party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has given the negotiating team full authority regarding talks with the government, sources added.

Sources said that PPP is disappointed with the government’s attitude and feels that it has not stood by its commitments.

Hereby, the party has decided to adopt a confrontational approach and will no longer tolerate the government’s “non-serious” attitude, sources added. PPP may consider boycotting the budget session and voting on the budget.

READ: Govt makes efforts to woo PPP over budget 2024 rift

Earlier, the PML-N-led federal government intensified efforts to placate PPP following the latter’s criticism for not taking its input at all while preparing the annual budget 2024-25.

Sources told ARY News that the government invited the Bilawal Bhutto-led party for another round of talks, which the party has accepted.

According to sources, the two sides have agreed to continue the dialogue process and the PPP delegation will meet with government representatives tomorrow.

The previous round of talks between the government and the People’s Party ended without a breakthrough, sources added. PPP has decided not to back down from its demands, including the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) issue.

The PPP has vowed to continue protesting until its concerns are addressed, sources said, noting that the absence of Bilawal Bhutto and Asifa Bhutto from the budget session is a clear message.

Read More: PPP not briefed over federal budget, says Nafisa Shah

Finance Minister Aurangzeb presented the Rs18.877 trillion relief-oriented federal budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.

The budget session started with a nearly two-hour delay after the PPP voiced reservations on the development allocations.

The Bilawal Bhutto-led party earlier decided not to attend the Pakistan Budget 2024 session in National Assembly, but the PML-N managed to placate them.