Published June 24, 2026 Updated about 2 hours ago By Naveed ButtZulfiqar Ahmad ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday passed ‘the Finance Bill, 2026’ despite criticism from the opposition, which ultimately staged a walkout, paving the way for the implementation of the 2026-27 budget. The House adopted government-backed amendments and rejected all amendments moved by the opposition. The Lower House has passed the federal budget for the next fiscal year 2026-27, with a total outlay of Rs18.771 trillion, focusing on accelerating the country’s economic growth. Members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) did not join the walkout staged by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The three female members of JUI-F — Aliya Kamran, Naeema Kishwar Khan, and Shahida Begum — participated in the legislative process and other business of the House. The House rejected a total of 63 proposed amendments, mostly moved by the three female members of JUI-F in “The Finance Bill, 2026”. The House adopted two amendments — one in clause six and the insertion of a new clause 6A — and two amendments in clause five of the bill. These amendments were moved by the Finance Minister in the House. The House approved the amendments. In the Budget-2026-27, the revenue collection target for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is set at Rs15.264 trillion, while the non-tax revenue target is estimated at Rs5.336 trillion for the next fiscal year. A total of Rs1 trillion has been allocated for the federal PSDP 2026-27. The House has approved the largest allocation for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Rs844.78 billion, to continue its social protection and cash transfer initiatives for low-income households across the country. While discussing the bill, MNA Aalia Kamran questioned whether the government had adequately consulted traders, salaried individuals, small businesses, tax experts, and civil society before finalising the budget. She proposed capping the Petroleum Development Levy at Rs50 per litre, reducing the carbon levy to Rs2.5, lowering taxes on telephone cards and air tickets, and fixing the sales tax rate at 10 percent. Naeema Kishwar Khan opposed the…