MUZZAFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly has endorsed an Rs3.102 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2025–26, facing severe backlash from the opposition parties on passing it without debate.
Key members of the ruling coalition, including former Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider and PML-N President Shah Ghulam Qadir, staged a walkout in protest, rejecting the process of approving the budget, while the opposition boycotted the session.
Abdul Majeed, the finance minister for AJK, presented the budget, which included updated projections for 2024–2025 and a total expenditure of Rs3.1 trillion for 2025–2026. The budget was approved by a numerical majority.
The budget sets aside Rs 49 billion for development projects and Rs 261 billion for non-development expenses. Key allocations of funds include Rs47.99 billion in subsidies for the supply of reasonably priced wheat flour and Rs2 billion for the distribution of health cards and free medical services.
Furthermore, Rs12 billion has been set aside for subsidies related to power, and 1,329 new AJK Rangers positions would be created.
In addition, Rs. 1 billion would be allocated for youth for interest-free loans. The improvement of transportation and communication facilities has been given the greatest portion of the development budget, i.e, Rs 15 billion.
