ABBOTTABAD, Jun 19 (APP):The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday presented a Rs 2.170 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2026-27, outlining significant allocations for development, education, healthcare, social welfare, and law and order. However, the budget has received a mixed response in Hazara Division, where concerns have been raised over regional development priorities and relief measures for government employees. The provincial government has proposed a seven percent increase in salaries …
KP budget 2026-27 faces mixed response in Hazara over development allocations
ABBOTTABAD, Jun 19 (APP):The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday presented a Rs 2.170 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2026-27, outlining significant allocations for development, education, healthcare, social welfare, and law and order.
However, the budget has received a mixed response in Hazara Division, where concerns have been raised over regional development priorities and relief measures for government employees.
The provincial government has proposed a seven percent increase in salaries and pensions for government employees, along with an increase of Rs 5,000 in the minimum monthly wage, raising it to Rs 45,000.
Major development allocations in the budget include Rs 36 billion for the Peshawar Rehabilitation Programme, Rs 7.5 billion for the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, and Rs 4 billion for the Khushhal Hazara Programme.
Despite these announcements, political and social circles in Hazara Division have expressed dissatisfaction over what they term limited development funding for the region. Critics have argued that the Rs 4 billion allocation for the Khushhal Hazara Programme is insufficient for the needs of the entire division, especially when compared to over Rs 50 billion allocated for projects concentrated in Peshawar, raising concerns about regional imbalance in development spending.
Government employees have also expressed reservations over the proposed seven percent increase in salaries and pensions, terming it inadequate in view of rising inflation and increasing living costs. Employee representatives have urged the provincial government to reconsider the proposal in the final budget.
Meanwhile, some segments of the public have appreciated the budget’s focus on social sectors, particularly the Rs 334 billion allocation for healthcare and Rs 468 billion for education, which represent the largest share of sectoral spending in the new fiscal plan.
