• Budget likely on Friday after president summons NA, Senate sessions today • National Economic Council finally set to meet today; KP still weighing participation • Federal, provincial govts to jointly cover Rs800bn shortfall • Extra FBR revenue to stay with Centre; ‘strategic needs’ may require Rs1.3-1.7tr • Sindh, Punjab agree to cut ADPs; KP, Balochistan not yet on board • Uplift plans worth Rs4.715tr likely to be revised down ISLAMABAD: Signs that the federal budget may be presented later this week emerged on Tuesday after the government finally called a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) on the same day that sessions of the National Assembly and Senate were summoned by President Asif Ali Zardari. A source in the NA Secretariat told Dawn that both sessions have been called budget sessions for 2026–27; however, it is expected that the budget will be presented in parliament on June 12. This echoed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry’s words, who said on Tuesday that the budget for the next fiscal year would likely be presented in parliament on Friday.