# *Detailed SUMMARY of the article "On to the budget" by Arifa Noor, Published in Dawn on June 10th, 2025:* The article critically examines *Pakistan*'s current political landscape following recent military tensions with *India*, highlighting how both countries are engaged in diplomatic outreach to convince the international community of their respective positions. The author notes that while *war-war is over*, *talk-talk* is happening with the *western world*, as both sides present themselves as victims. *Pakistan*'s *Prime Minister* is portrayed as extremely enthusiastic about the recent conflict, delivering speeches not only to his *cabinet* but also at *diplomatic events in Islamabad*, claiming that *Pakistan has avenged 1971* by comparing *six planes* to *half a country*. The *Foreign Minister* and *Defense Minister* are also actively promoting the government's narrative through multiple press conferences and policy announcements. The article suggests that government officials and commentators are asserting a surge in the government's popularity following the conflict, particularly in *Punjab*, citing the recent *by-election in Sialkot* as evidence. However, the author questions why the election remained competitive between *PTI* and *PML-N* despite the latter's control over provincial administration. The piece notes *Nawaz Sharif*'s mysterious departure to *London* immediately after the conflict, despite being credited as the mastermind behind the planning and diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, *PTI* continues its internal struggles, with *Imran Khan* attempting to orchestrate protests from jail while facing restrictions on meetings with party leadership. The article mentions ongoing speculation about the *27th Constitutional Amendment* and trials involving *Faiz*, suggesting these are being used to send political messages. The *Interior Minister*'s meetings with *Maulana Fazlur Rehman* of *JUI-F* are highlighted, noting the apparent cooling of his revolutionary rhetoric. The author concludes by suggesting that while the government appears to be in a strong position, the real test will come with the upcoming *budget*, which promises *prosperity* and *relief* but may bring different realities for the common people. # *Easy/Short SUMMARY*: *Pakistan*'s leadership celebrates recent military tensions with *India*, with the *PM* claiming to have *avenged 1971*. Political parties use the conflict to boost popularity, while *Nawaz Sharif* mysteriously fled to *London*. *PTI* struggles with internal conflicts as *Imran Khan* plans protests from jail. Speculation surrounds the *27th Constitutional Amendment* and *Faiz*'s trial. The government appears strong but faces the challenge of delivering on budget promises of *prosperity* and *relief*. # *SOLUTIONS of The Problem*: ## *1. Establish Transparent Communication* Create clear channels for honest public discourse about *foreign policy* achievements and challenges without exaggeration. ## *2. Focus on Domestic Priorities* Shift political attention from *conflict narratives* to addressing economic challenges and *budget preparations*. ## *3. Strengthen Democratic Institutions* Ensure *Election Commission* independence and fair electoral processes across all provinces. ## *4. Promote Political Reconciliation* Facilitate dialogue between *PTI* and government to reduce *political polarization* and protest culture. ## *5. Clarify Constitutional Changes* Provide transparent information about the *27th Constitutional Amendment* and its implications for governance. ## *6. Address Economic Concerns* Prepare realistic *budget policies* that deliver actual *relief* rather than empty promises of *prosperity*. ## *7. Ensure Judicial Independence* Protect the autonomy of *Constitutional Bench* and prevent political interference in legal proceedings. ## *8. Improve Provincial Governance* Address governance issues in *Balochistan*, *KP*, and *Sindh* beyond *Punjab*-centric policies. ## *9. Enhance Political Accountability* Hold leaders accountable for policy announcements and ensure consistency in government messaging. ## *10. Foster National Unity* Move beyond partisan politics to build consensus on national challenges and economic development. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the article*: - Recent *by-election in Sialkot* held as evidence of government popularity. - Reference to *1971* war and comparison with *six planes* vs *half a country*. - *27th Constitutional Amendment* under discussion but not officially announced. - *Faiz*'s trial nearing completion according to leaked information. - Article published on *June 10th, 2025* in *Dawn*. - Mentions meetings between *Interior Minister* and *Maulana Fazlur Rehman*. - References to *reserved seats* issue before *Constitutional Bench*. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures out of the article*: - *Pakistan-India* military standoff occurred in *February 2019* with similar aircraft incidents (*BBC*, 2019). - *1971 Bangladesh Liberation War* resulted in Pakistan losing *East Pakistan* (*History*, 2024). - *PTI* won *17 National Assembly seats* in recent by-elections (*Election Commission*, 2024). - *Pakistan*'s *budget deficit* stands at *7.4%* of GDP (*IMF*, 2024). - Constitutional amendments require *two-thirds majority* in both houses (*Constitution*, 1973). - *Sialkot constituency* has traditionally been *PML-N stronghold* (*Electoral data*, 2024). # *MCQs from the Article*: ### 1. *According to the article, what does Pakistan's PM claim to have avenged?* A. 1965 war *B. 1971 war* C. 1999 conflict D. 2019 standoff ### 2. *Which party won the recent by-election in Sialkot?* A. PTI *B. PML-N* C. PPP D. JUI-F ### 3. *Where did Nawaz Sharif go immediately after the recent conflict?* A. Dubai *B. London* C. Saudi Arabia D. New York ### 4. *What constitutional amendment is mentioned in the article?* A. 26th Amendment *B. 27th Amendment* C. 28th Amendment D. 25th Amendment ### 5. *Who is Imran Khan trying to manage protests from?* A. His residence *B. Jail* C. Party office D. Foreign country # *VOCABULARY*: 1. *Subcontinent* (برصغیر) – The Indian subcontinent region 2. *Loggerheads* (تصادم) – In strong disagreement or conflict 3. *Populace* (عوام) – The general public or common people 4. *Thrilled* (پرجوش) – Extremely pleased or excited 5. *Avenged* (بدلہ لیا) – Inflicted harm in return for injury 6. *Dragged* (گھسیٹا) – Pulled or forced unwillingly 7. *Commentariat* (تبصرہ نگار طبقہ) – Professional political commentators 8. *Assertions* (دعوے) – Confident statements or claims 9. *Stringent* (سخت) – Strict or demanding exact conformity 10. *Upswing* (بہتری) – Improvement or positive trend 11. *Unpatriotic* (غیر محب وطن) – Not patriotic or loyal 12. *Thwarted* (ناکام) – Prevented from accomplishing 13. *Irrelevant* (غیر متعلقہ) – Not connected or applicable 14. *Unbiased* (غیر جانبدار) – Showing no prejudice or favoritism 15. *Grapple* (نپٹنا) – Struggle or wrestle with 16. *Wrangling* (جھگڑا) – Angry disagreement or dispute 17. *Bogeyman* (خوفناک شبح) – Imaginary evil spirit or threat 18. *Fray* (میدان جنگ) – A battle or fight 19. *Pesky* (پریشان کن) – Causing trouble or annoyance 20. *Thundering* (گرجنا) – Speaking loudly and forcefully 📢 *Attention Please!* We appreciate your commitment to acquiring knowledge through our summaries. Please be reminded not to remove the attribution label affixed to this article. It is crucial to acknowledge the source and the effort invested in creating this summary. We discourage any unauthorized distribution without proper credit. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 🔍 ⚡ *Explore More Summaries, Solutions, and Vocabulary Meanings* 💡 Join our WhatsApp Channel for timely and comprehensive summaries of the latest articles, along with well-crafted solutions and helpful vocabulary meanings. Click the link below to join now 🔗 [Dawn Article Summaries](https://cssmcqs.com/dawn-editorials-articles-summary-for-students-pdf-download/) *WhatsApp Channel Link*: [https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y) --- *www.dawn.com* *On to the budget* *Arifa Noor* *6–7 minutes* WAR-war is over; talk-talk is happening in the subcontinent — not between the two nuclear-armed neighbours but with the world to our west. Indeed, each side has decided this is the best time to convince the rest how it is the real victim. And whether or not the world (and the US) is convinced, the real job is to convince those of us in India and Pakistan how hard the politicos are working, speaking English fluently, and winning over those who are worried about two nuclear powers being at loggerheads. But then, the game is about convincing the South Asians that world opinion is being shaped, even if it really isn't. Even if the populace is or isn't, the two prime ministers are surely convinced of their respective success. On our side of the border, the prime minister is so thrilled that he is delivering speeches not only to his cabinet, but also at diplomatic events in Islamabad. Those who are listening are not just told about the details of the conflict and the brilliance of the planners at home and of Trump, but also that Pakistan has avenged 1971. Six planes and half a country — same to same. There is a fear that he is going to become like the uncle who got dragged to a hunting trip by his cool friends about 40 years back, and has been telling the story since at every family wedding and Eid gathering. His excitement is shared by his cabinet ministers. The foreign minister, too, has given more than one press conference on the conflict, while the defence minister is announcing foreign policy decisions that the rest of the government has yet to agree to. It's quite like a family wedding where everyone is holding forth on what food the guests will be served, other than the person who will be paying for it. Those who are lower down the food chain (whether in government or the commentariat) steer clear of foreign policy but haven't stopped telling us how popular the government has become. There are assertions galore about how the 'war' has led to a surge of popularity; and as emotions are running high and the monitoring is rather stringent, no one is going to ask about when and how the upswing happened in Balochistan, KP and Sindh. These are all silly questions and unpatriotic to boot, in the aftermath of a war, which is far from over. A thrilled PM is delivering speeches not only to his cabinet, but also at diplomatic events. In Punjab now, 'all is well', for the military and the government thwarted the Indian attack. The result of the recent by-election in Sialkot is proof of this, in case any doubting Thomas needed it. Only the unpatriotic bunch wonders why the election was still a contest between the irrelevant PTI and the successful and popular N, and the latter won, despite its own government in the province, control over the police and the administration and the very fair and unbiased Election Commission. But it is puzzling that Nawaz Sharif, who was the man behind the scenes — from the planning to the diplomatic outreach to the major decisions about promotions — flew off to Avenfield and London, even before the celebrations ended. And this before he has renewed political activities, promised to us multiple times, as frequently as governments have assured us of an economy that is 'taraqqi ki rah par gamzan' (set on the path to prosperity). We wait in hope for both his return to politics and the country's development. Though, the videos that have reached us from London do show that the N is still holding all-male dinner parties. But that is not the only party stuck in a loop. The PTI continues to grapple with the same old inner wrangling, agitation and protest. Imran Khan, having tried to get his chief minister more than once to lead a charge on Islamabad, has now decided to plan and manage it from jail. And what will happen once his second tier is banned from meeting him in the middle of the protests is just a silly question. All questions are silly, if they are not unpatriotic. But someone somewhere still wants to scare the PTI and that is why there are 'leaks' once again about the trial of Faiz and how it is near completion. This bogeyman is spoken about only to send a message. As the success of the crypto policy is used to send a message. Different messages and to different quarters. If only the big shots were the ones giving us messages. Not so anymore; even the Islamabad bar has joined the fray by welcoming the 27th constitutional amendment, which the government hasn't even officially owned up to. But in its eagerness to please, the bar is simply acknowledging the gossip in Islamabad. Though, those of us who are far, far outside the favoured circles of the powers that be are in the dark about what the amendment will do. Will it simply take care of the pesky judges, if any still have the space to be pesky, or will it bring far more sweeping changes? We continue to gossip (rather than ask questions) though those in the know explain that this amendment will be unveiled once (and if) the Constitutional Bench in all its 'wisdom' and legal knowhow returns the reserved seats to the rightful owners — the parties in power. But if the numbers in parliament are going to be easy to add up, it's hard to explain why the interior minister is meeting the maulana. Though, it does seem that in between these meetings, the revolutionary fervour of the JUI-F has died down. The maulana is no longer thundering here and there — perhaps the weather is far too hot and he doesn't want to add to the high temperatures. It indeed is smooth sailing for those in power, till the budget. There is no doubt the government is sitting pretty even as the rest of us are bracing ourselves for the 'prosperity' and the 'relief' that awaits us this week. The writer is a journalist. Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2025 Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.