Gilgit-Baltistan presents 218.8 billion rupee budget with deficit — The Express Tribune
Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan has presented a full budget for the 2026–2027 fiscal year totaling 218.845 billion Pakistani rupees. The document provides for a deficit of more than 52 billion rupees, which the regional authorities are seeking to cover by securing additional funding from the federal government, The Express Tribune reports.
Senior Minister Mohammad Ali Akhtar, who is also responsible for finance, presented the budget to the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly. In July, the regional government presented an interim budget of 20.478 billion rupees for the first quarter of the fiscal year and said that the full annual document would be submitted three months later.
Expenditure and revenue
The budget allocates 43.97 billion rupees for development expenditure and 149.87 billion rupees for non-development expenditure. The tax revenue plan stands at 16.98 billion rupees, while the deficit is estimated at 52.65 billion rupees.
The annual development programme was increased from 22 billion to 23 billion rupees. Funding under the federal Public Sector Development Programme rose from 15 billion to 20.973 billion rupees. The wheat subsidy fund, which had previously been cut to 15 billion rupees, was increased to 22 billion rupees. Expected revenue from wheat sales was set at 3 billion rupees.
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Request for federal support
Gilgit-Baltistan has also requested a special stabilization package from the federal government worth about 153.3 billion rupees. It covers support for local self-government, law and order, education, healthcare, tourism, post-flood compensation, public utilities, food security, e-governance, agriculture, climate measures, institutional development and the fulfillment of various obligations.
According to Akhtar, 1% of development funds will be directed to a consolidated climate fund, while the non-development budgets of all departments will be cut by 30%. An additional 170 million rupees is allocated for medicines and a medical endowment fund, while 50 million rupees each is allocated for water resource management, agricultural reforms, youth loans, local government elections and upgrades to their offices.
For development projects in ten districts, 5.034 billion rupees were allocated; about 78 million rupees was allocated to the water and power department, and 18 million rupees to tourism.
