Federal Budget: PKR 78.5 Billion Proposed for Education and HEC

(Digital Itla) Proposals have emerged to allocate PKR 22 billion for the health sector and PKR 187.2 billion to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the new federal budget. According to documents, the health budget will include PKR 1.30 billion in foreign aid and PKR 20.70 billion from local resources.

Out of the PKR 187.2 billion developmental budget for the social sector, 2.2% is earmarked for health, including PKR 24.3 billion for health and nutrition. This covers PKR 1.5 billion for cardiovascular disease prevention and research, PKR 1 billion for the expansion of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC), and token funds for land acquisition for a Medical City in Islamabad.

According to sources, the upcoming budget proposes PKR 78.5 billion for education and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), PKR 3 billion for educational scholarships for deserving students, PKR 3.29 billion for the Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Programme, PKR 1.5 billion for scholarships for students from Indian-occupied Kashmir, and billions to expand the Daanish Schools network to underprivileged areas. These include establishing Daanish Schools in the Musakhel, Zhob, Qila Saifullah, and Dera Bugti districts of Balochistan; Bagh, Bhimber, Sharda, and Haveli Kahuta in Azad Kashmir; Sultanabad, Shigar, Astore, and Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan; Tando Muhammad Khan in Sindh; and the Chitral district. Special grant proposals include PKR 66.1 billion for merged districts and PKR 79.4 billion for development projects in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.