Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) budget was announced on 25 May, two and a half weeks before the federal budget was announced on 12 June, the Punjab budget was announced a day later on 13 June, Sindh on 14 June, and Balochistan on 21 June – dates that may reflect prevailing political considerations however all provincial budgets, like the federal budget, deviate but little from their previous budgets.

The similarity of the 2024-25 budget’s revenue and expenditure thrust with the previous ten budgets tabled by Pakistan Peoples’ Party’s (PPP) Sindh government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) may be rationalised on the grounds that the two parties have been in power in these two provinces since 2013. Balochistan operates within its own unique political dynamics however with the country more critically assessing the performance of first time chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif widely believed to be the political heir of PML-N supremo, the same yardstick is, perhaps unfairly, not being applied.

Be that as it may, the one common feature of all four provincial budgets is the continuation of heavy reliance on federal transfers with little attempt to actually raise own revenue. The transfers, based on the Finance Bill and amended in case of any subsequent change in taxes levied or withdrawn, or an unforeseen shortfall, will be distributed as per the 2010 National Finance Commission award. Federal transfers as per the provincial budgets show Punjab’s budget formulators in the worst possible light with 79 percent reliance on federal transfers, trailed by KPK’s 77 percent, Balochistan’s 76 percent and Sindh’s refreshing 62 percent.

Sindh government clearly is in the lead in relying less on federal transfers and the reason is........

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