Housewives term budget nothing but number game

Islamabad:For Pakistani housewives, the Federal Budget 2025-26 is nothing more than a numbers game - a series of figures and promises that barely addresses their daily struggles. Despite the government’s announcements, the reality on the ground remains unchanged: making ends meet is a constant battle for them.

In conversations with ‘The News’, many housewives expressed their disappointment and frustration with the budget, feeling it offered little to no relief from the soaring household expenses. "We're tired of hearing about percentages and figures. With same statistics, the government is able to prove that economy is a success and opposition provides evidence that economy is still in deep crisis," said Rabia Anis, a housewife. "What we need is real change - a chance to afford basic necessities without breaking the bank."

The women highlighted the stark contrast between the modest salary hikes for public sector employees and the astronomical increases for lawmakers. "Why should we settle for a 10% raise when Senate Chairman and National Assembly Speaker get a 600% boost?" Rabia asked. She demanded that the salary of the public sector employee shall increase in the same proportion as of Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker. “Most important is the fact that majority of us works in the private sector where there is no increase in salaries for years. Whereas the prices of basic utilities are completely out of their budgets.”

The struggle is real. Halima Malik, a receptionist, shared her plight: "My husband earns Rs40,000 a month, and we struggle to make ends meet. Rent, utility bills, school fees - it's a never-ending," said Halima. Amina Majid, a resident of sector G-14, echoed this sentiment: "Unless prices of basic necessities come down, the budget means nothing to us.”

Highly disappointed, Farwa Husnain, a teacher in a local school, said that the majority of women don’t watch or follow budget speech or discussions. “What affects our household budget is the prices of commodities and bills. We fail to understand other measures which the government claims will change the lives of common people in near future,” she said. “We can clearly see the situation with the Gold prices that has increased from Rs230,000 to Rs350,000 in the last year.

While some women were critical of the budget, others saw glimmers of hope. Saleema Rashid, an economics student, acknowledged the government's efforts amidst the economic crisis: "Stability in essential commodity prices shows that the government is trying its best."

On the other hand, there were PML-N supporters who had sympathies with their party leadership. “The economy was in real bad shape. We cannot expect miracles one year. I am sure that things will improve with time,” said Azeema Shahid, another housewife. She appreciated the 21 per cent increase in the budget of BISP for the financial year 2025-2026.