Speakers call for greater child-focused investments ahead of Budget 2026-27

ISLAMABAD, Mar 09 (APP): Speakers at a pre-budget experts’ roundtable on child-focused social sector investments urged policymakers to prioritise education, health and protection services for children in the upcoming federal and provincial budgets, warning that limited public spending and rising economic pressures could undermine Pakistan’s long-term human development.

The pre-budget consultation titled “Child-Focused Social Sector Investments: Learning from Provinces – Challenges, Opportunities, and Gaps,” was jointly organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the SDGs Secretariat, Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights and  the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

The event brought together parliamentarians, policy experts and development partners to review current budget trends and identify gaps in investments aimed at improving the wellbeing of children across provinces.

Opening the session, Convener SDGs Secretariat MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik emphasised that budget decisions directly shape the future of nearly half of Pakistan’s population, which consists of children. She said public investments in children’s health, education and protection were crucial for sustainable development and long-term national stability.

“Investing in children is not only a social priority but also accelerates progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including better health, quality education and poverty reduction,” she said.

Malik noted that despite progress in some social protection programmes, major gaps persist in education financing, primary healthcare and nutrition services across provinces.

She added that the roundtable provided an opportunity to reflect on existing trends and explore ways to ensure that public spending responds more effectively to the needs of children as Pakistan prepares for the 2026-27 budget cycle.

MNA Dr. Nikhat Shakeel, Convener of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights, highlighted the growing challenge of out-of-school children and stressed the importance of evidence-based policymaking. She said that without proper needs assessments, investments risk being misdirected and failing to reach the most vulnerable children.

“Many children who are enrolled still face issues of quality education and limited access to services and facilities,” she said, calling for better data and targeted programmes to ensure resources deliver meaningful outcomes.

Presenting a broader economic perspective, SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri noted health and education together account for less than six percent of public spending, adding that the federal government alone cannot meet the needs of child health and education.

Dr. Suleri urged provinces to play a stronger role and called for the establishment of Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) awards to ensure equitable distribution of resources to districts based on local needs.

Speaking on behalf of UNICEF, Pernille Ironside said the discussion was about shaping Pakistan’s human capital rather than merely balancing financial figures. She noted that children make up around 40 percent of Pakistan’s population, yet millions still lack adequate access to healthcare, education and nutrition services.

Ironside acknowledged the government’s efforts to expand social protection, including allocations of over Rs716 billion, but said greater spending and better targeting were needed. She pointed out that in several provinces the distribution of resources does not align with areas facing the highest child deprivation.

She also stressed the importance of preventive investments such as early childhood development, primary healthcare and education, which could significantly reduce long-term public expenditure.

During a presentation on Public Expenditure Reviews, policy analyst Sadaf Zulfiqar highlighted that Pakistan is one of the youngest countries in the region, with 40 percent of the population under 15 and 60 percent below the age of 30. She said around 26 million children remain out of school while nearly 40 percent suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition.

According to the review, Pakistan spent around 1.5 percent of GDP on education and 0.9 percent on health in 2022-23, both below global benchmarks. Development spending also varies significantly among provinces, with Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa facing particularly limited fiscal space for child-related programmes.

In the parliamentary dialogue session moderated by Zafarullah Khan, lawmakers highlighted challenges from different regions.

MNA Shahida Rehmani, Chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus, called for increased neonatal healthcare services, improved vaccination coverage in rural areas and dedicated budgets for maternal and child health facilities.

Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Daniyal Chaudhary emphasised the need to focus on teacher training rather than merely increasing funding for infrastructure. He argued that improving teaching quality was essential for better learning outcomes in public schools.

From Balochistan, provincial legislator Dr Muhammad Nawaz citing a 44 percent literacy rate, high infant mortality and widespread malnutrition. He stressed that provincial budgets must prioritise primary healthcare, education and nutrition.

AJK Minister Nabeela Ayub Khan raised concerns about the issue of abandoned children and called for clearer legal frameworks regarding custody and adoption.

Meanwhile, KP Assembly member Asif Khan Mehsud highlighted challenges in the merged districts, saying years of conflict have damaged school infrastructure and limited development spending. He urged the government to consider ground realities when allocating budgets.

MNA Riaz Fatyana stressed that implementation gaps remain a major issue, pointing to environmental pollution, poverty and outdated curricula as factors affecting child development.

Similarly, MNA Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Somroo emphasised the need to address nutrition, health awareness and parental engagement.

Concluding the discussion, Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance, Syed Naveed Qamar urged parliamentarians to take a proactive role in safeguarding social sector spending during the budget process.

“Parliamentarians must review budget drafts carefully and ensure that allocations for child-related sectors are protected despite fiscal constraints,” he said.

Qamar proposed convening special parliamentary meetings to review child-focused allocations and called on committees to examine spending cycles to ensure effective implementation.

He said that parliament must lead the debate on prioritising child-focused social sector investments in the upcoming budgets.