The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has presented a record budget of over Rs3.10 trillion for the fiscal year 2025–26, marking a 30% increase from the previous year.

According to officials, this is the largest budget in AJK’s history.

The proposed budget allocates Rs49 billion for development expenditures, while non-development spending is projected at Rs261 billion.

A key highlight of the budget is the proposed salary and pension hikes for government employees, in line with the federal government’s increases.

Political tensions marred the budget session of the AJK Legislative Assembly.

Opposition lawmakers locked the assembly doors and staged a sit-in protest, preventing government members from entering the chamber and delaying the session.

The opposition accused the government of violating parliamentary procedures by suspending standard rules to force the budget’s approval on the same day—an action they strongly oppose.

AJK Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan urged opposition members to bring their concerns into the assembly, labelling their actions “illegal and unparliamentary.”

Despite the uproar, government officials remain firm that the 2025–26 budget represents a milestone in AJK’s fiscal planning and development priorities.