The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), through its Citizen Network for Budget Accountability (CNBA), presented findings from the State of Budget Transparency Report 2025 at a media briefing in District Bannu organised by Community Development Organization (CDO). The study focuses on fiscal year 2024-25 while noting that FY 2025-26 remains ongoing and its full data will be available only after the year ends, underscoring persistent concerns about budget transparency across Pakistan.
The report finds that budget transparency is limited and uneven, with weak public participation and notable gaps in accountability. Key budget documents are not consistently made public and citizens have little opportunity to shape budget priorities, weakening oversight and trust in public finances. Budget Transparency remains a central challenge as access to timely information is uneven across institutions and provinces.
Speaking at the briefing, CDO program manager Mr. Inayat Ullah Khan said, “Budgets are still not truly public in Pakistan. People are informed after decisions are made, rather than being part of the process.” The comment highlighted how procedural openness is often formal rather than substantive, leaving citizens excluded from meaningful engagement on public spending.
While budgets are generally presented on time, parliamentary engagement is described as weak, with limited debate days and insufficient scrutiny of proposals. Transparency further erodes during implementation when governments frequently fail to publish timely spending and audit reports, restricting effective oversight and scrutiny by civil society and citizens.
The report observes a regional variation in performance: Punjab performs relatively better, followed by the federal government, whereas Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan lag behind. Even where performance is higher, overall transparency levels fall short of acceptable standards, prompting CPDI and CNBA to call for prompt disclosure of budget documents, meaningful public participation and stronger accountability systems to restore public trust and improve governance.
CPDI, through the CNBA network that spans 101 districts, has a history of publishing research on federal and provincial budgets and convening budget consultations and debates. The organisation says these efforts aim to make the budget process more responsive to citizens’ needs and aligned with international standards on fiscal openness and accountability.
