PML-N, PPP reach consensus over budget, other issues
Pakistan
Two sides to meet again today for sorting out differences
Progress made in a meeting held with Shehbaz on late Friday
Bilawal again accuses the ruling party of ignoring allies, not consulting his party
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News/Web Desk) - The dialogue between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party has proven successful.
The PPP has conveyed a positive signal by participating in the budget session while the PML-N has also assured it of alleviating its concerns.
Sources said the PPP can announce to support the ruling PML-N in the approval of the finance bill by June 24 as the PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto would address the assembly on the said date to talk about the budget details.
It has also been reported that the prime minister would also participate in the budget speech of the PPP chairman.
The PPP, it appeared, had grievances regarding being ignored in the allocated PSDP share in Punjab while also it pointed out concerns regarding the transfers and postings of the provincial bureaucracy.
Earlier, representatives from the PML-N and the PPP were scheduled to meet again today (Saturday) in an attempt to sort out differences over the budget 2024-25, as sources say progress has been made on different contentious issues between the two parties.
The PPP’s support is vital to the coalition government led by the PML-N, without which the government can’t pass the budget or move any legislation in the parliament thanks to a divided mandate produced by the February 8 elections.
Hence, the PPP directed its members to attend the National Assembly’s ongoing budget session – thus ending a boycott that started after Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other leaders openly criticised the government over the policies followed to produce the budget in which it is accused of providing relief to the masses.
Bilawal – the PPP chairman – on Friday repeated the stance that said the government failed to consult allies and the budget document would have been much better had his party been consulted.
The sources say the breakthrough was a result of a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif late on Friday night where the members of committees formed by the two parties pleaded their respective cases before him.
It is not just the budget, as political and technical matters like power sharing – especially in Punjab where the PPP wants a larger stake – were also discussed, as the sources say the two sides will sign an agreement in this regard to give the understanding a formal shape.
The PPP has been of the view that the PML-N failed to deliver on the promises made under a deal which was followed by its decision to support the candidature of Shehbaz for the prime minister’s office.
However, the PML-N believes that the PPP always resorts to blackmailing at critical junctures so as to make unjustified gains – a practice which was witnessed previously during the PDM’s 20-month tenure before a caretaker setup assumed the charge before the polls.
It is also not happy with the PPP’s desire to gain more space in Punjab where it has lost electoral support during the past decades, at a time when it is not ready to provide any room to the PML-N in Sindh.
Political wranglings of a coalition is the reason why former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif was calling for a clear mandate and the failure to achieve the goal made him shun the bid to assume the office for a record fourth term.
