The meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), scheduled to be held today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has been postponed and will now take place tomorrow at 11:30 AM.
Officials said the meeting was deferred due to unresolved matters between the federal government and its key coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Sources said the PPP has demanded a 50 per cent increase in salaries and pensions of government employees, which became a major sticking point ahead of the crucial meeting.
The NEC session was expected to approve the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the upcoming fiscal year, including a total development outlay of Rs 4,458 billion.
Under the proposed plan, Punjab’s share was set at Rs 1,450 billion, Sindh Rs 816 billion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs 564 billion, and Balochistan Rs 308 billion.
The meeting was to be attended by all four provincial chief ministers, provincial finance ministers, and the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials added that the delay has temporarily pushed back final approval of federal and provincial development budgets for the next fiscal year.
The NEC is a key constitutional forum, and its approval is mandatory before the federal budget is presented in Parliament.
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