Pakistan, June 24 -- ISLAMABAD - The federal government has tabled a massive Rs28.8 trillion compulsory expenditure bill for the fiscal year 2025-26, showing a 17% decrease from the previous year due to falling interest rates.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the bill in the National Assembly, detailing essential "charged expenditures" such as debt servicing and operational costs of key state institutions. These expenses, protected under the Constitution, are not open to voting by lawmakers.

While domestic debt servicing is expected to decline by 17% to Rs8.2 trillion due to reduced interest rates and longer-term debt planning, foreign debt repayments are rising. The government has proposed Rs5.4 trillion for foreign loans,...