Published June 9, 2026 Updated about 2 hours ago By Naveed ButtZulfiqar Ahmad ISLAMABAD: After two days of intensive negotiations, the federal government and its key coalition partner, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), moved closer to an agreement on the 2026-27 federal budget on Monday, with the PPP signalling a cautious endorsement despite earlier reservations. The breakthrough came during a high-stakes meeting at the Presidency, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his team met President Asif Ali Zardari and senior leaders from both parties in talks that lasted several hours. The sources said that the federal budget will not be presented on June 10, as both sides have agreed that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will announce the date for presentation of federal budget for 2026-27 within 24 hours. The timeline for presenting the federal budget has again come under review, but now sources added that June 12 has emerged as a possible new date, although 10 June remains under consideration. They said that both the government and the PPP agreed to form technical committees to settle the federal government’s demand of Rs1.7 trillion from the provinces. The budget had previously been postponed from 5 June to 10 June. Meanwhile, the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, originally scheduled for today (Tuesday), according to sources will now be held on June 10. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the session, which included top government ministers and members of the PPP’s budget committee, produced broad consensus on most proposals, while technical consultations are expected to continue on a few remaining points. Sources said the discussions were wide-ranging, covering the economy, public relief measures, law and order, provincial rights, and other matters of national importance. President Zardari emphasised that the federal budget should prioritise public welfare, economic stability, and provincial equity, directing that growth targets align with welfare programmes. An official statement from the President’s House…