Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Adviser, Barrister Dr. Saif, has launched a scathing critique of the federal budget for 2025-26, calling it a “nightmare” for the poor and accusing the federal government of deepening economic hardships for ordinary Pakistanis.

In a strongly worded statement, Dr. Saif dismissed the proposed salary increases as “a drop in the ocean” amid soaring inflation, terming the measures a “cruel joke” on the public. He warned that the hike in taxes on petrol and electricity would trigger a fresh wave of inflation, further burdening a population already struggling to make ends meet.

“Rising petrol prices affect the cost of all goods,” Saif said. “And now, by taxing alternative energy sources like solar panels, the government has taken away the last hope of relief for the common man.”

He criticised the imposition of taxes on solar energy, highlighting that with the highest electricity rates, frequent load shedding, and new taxes on renewable options, people have been left with “no viable means of survival.”

Dr. Saif also accused the “fake federal government” of deceiving the salaried class with false promises, likening the so-called relief to “Form 47” a pointed reference to alleged election rigging.

He concluded by branding the budget a “blueprint for the business wing of the Sharif family,” sarcastically suggesting that it would have been more appropriately unveiled at Jati Umra or the Mayfair apartments in London.

The remarks underscore growing provincial-federal tensions as economic challenges mount nationwide.