After the differences between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the important coalition partner, over the federal budget some positive progress was made yesterday in the efforts to resolve these differences, but these efforts could not reach any fruitful conclusion, due to which the parties are likely to sit together again today (Tuesday).
Sources in both parties said that the meeting between the two sides was held at the Prime Minister’s House yesterday, but Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif did not attend the meeting.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Economic Affairs Minister Ayaz Sadiq represented the PML-N while the PPP delegation included Syed Khursheed Shah, Naveed Qamar and Sherry Rehman.
Sources said that the PPP delegation presented some of its reservations to the PML-N members and demanded that adequate funds be provided for the flood victims of Sindh.
The PPP delegation said that the Prime Minister had visited the flood-affected areas and promised to allocate the required funds for the flood victims of Sindh, but no funds were allocated in this regard in the budget 2023-24.
Sources said that the government delegation agreed to give Rs25 billion for the flood victims, but the consent of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is necessary for this decision.
Later, it was decided in the meeting that the government delegation will inform the Prime Minister about the results of the meeting, while the PPP delegation will inform about the progress of the meeting to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the two sides will meet again today (Tuesday).
Sources further said that the PPP demanded that the general elections be held on its scheduled time in November this year.
Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has denied the differences in the ruling coalition and said that he did not think there was any political difference between the PPP and the PML-N.
Talking to the media after the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected Mayor Karachi and Deputy Mayor Karachi, he said, “As far as PPP and PML-N are concerned, we are in an alliance today, we are in the government together, but we have to go ahead continuously and do politics in this country. Let us carry forward our politics under the basic principles of democracy signed between Bhutto.”
