ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told the Senate on Wednesday that regional instability in the Middle East has had an impact on the country’s economy, adding that a full set of economic facts would be presented in detail on Thursday.
Responding during a Senate session on the economic situation, the minister said the Economic Survey would be unveiled the following day, during which “many facts will be laid before the public,” while additional opportunities for briefing would also follow.
He noted that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have affected economies across the world and expressed hope that Pakistan’s leadership would play a constructive role in helping resolve the situation.
The finance minister said that subsidies worth Rs129 billion were provided during the first three weeks of the period under review. He acknowledged that the subsidy measures had also faced criticism, particularly over categorisation and policy design, leading to a shift towards more targeted support mechanisms.
Aurangzeb added that all provincial governments had supported the federal efforts, praising their cooperation and specifically thanking the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for its role. He said provincial participation had been crucial for implementing the subsidy programme effectively.
He further stated that targeted subsidies were still being continued and warned that even if regional tensions eased, their economic impact could persist into the next fiscal year. He also noted that achieving Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) revenue targets would be challenging but emphasised that improvement in collections remained a positive indicator.