Military with India Pakistan's Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has announced that the upcoming budget will increase the expenditure on defense in the upcoming budget, while he has assured that the new budget will also provide relief for the general public.
In a meeting with a delegation of engineers in Islamabad on Sunday, Ahsan Iqbal said that the defense cost will be increased in view of the current security situation, but he clarified that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not put any pressure on this.
According to Geo TV report, the delegation led by Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) Secretary General Engineer Amir Zamir attended the meeting. Pakistan's Planning Minister said to prioritize the project, respond to India's water invasion, and speedy implementation of water resource projects including Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
He said that the reason for the delay in the budget announcement was Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's foreign visit and Eid holiday, no pressure from the IMF worked here.
Ahsan Iqbal also announced the launch of paid internship programs for young engineers, and he also assured to include the engineers in the new budget.
Speaking on political issues, Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan has united through the recent military success against India but criticized Imran Khan's negative reaction and praised the leadership of Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
He said the government will not take any action that can be harmful to national unity and solidarity.
