The National Economic Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for Monday has been postponed once again, raising fresh questions about the timing of the federal budget and highlighting ongoing differences between coalition partners on key economic matters.
The meeting, which was to be chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was expected to approve the national development budget for fiscal year 2026-27. However, sources said the session was deferred due to a lack of consensus between the government and the Pakistan Peoples Party on important issues still under discussion.
As Pakistan’s highest constitutional body for economic planning and coordination between the federation and provinces, the NEC plays a critical role in finalizing development priorities and approving major economic allocations before the federal budget is presented.
According to sources, the meeting was also absent from the prime minister’s official schedule issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, signaling that unresolved matters remained under negotiation. No official announcement has yet been made regarding a revised date for the session.
This marks the second postponement of the NEC meeting in recent days. The council was originally scheduled to meet on June 3, but that session was also postponed. At the time, the Cabinet Division informed members that a new date would be communicated later.
The latest delay comes after Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti announced that he would not attend the meeting, adding another layer of uncertainty to the proceedings.
The federal government is currently expected to unveil the Budget 2026-27 on June 10 with an economic growth target of 4 percent. However, the repeated postponement of the NEC meeting has fueled speculation that the budget timetable could face adjustments if outstanding political and economic issues are not resolved quickly.
The development underscores the importance of coalition consensus in the budget making process, particularly as the government prepares to finalize spending plans, development allocations, and economic targets for the coming fiscal year.
