ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week formed a committee to resolve tensions between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition ally of the government, state-run media reported.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari publicly lashed out at the PML-N-led government last week, regretting its decision to block virtual private networks (VPNs) across the country. Authorities say the measures are meant to deter militants and other suspects who use VPNs to conceal their identities and spread “anti-state propaganda” and promote “blasphemous” or other illegal content online.
Speaking to journalists at his party’s media cell, the PPP chairman had also criticized the government for approving a project to construct new canals on the Indus River, saying the decision had been taken without consulting his party.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to resolve issues between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and to foster cooperation on political and other matters,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Friday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar and Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema are members of the committee.
It also includes Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam, Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan, Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique, Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, and Bashir Ahmed Memon, it added.
“The Prime Minister has assigned the committee the responsibility of having detailed consultation with the PPP to ensure political collaboration and resolve the issues,” Radio Pakistan said.
It added that the committee would hold talks with members nominated by the PPP to discuss the future course of action between the two parties.
The PPP is a major coalition ally of the coalition government which also voted Sharif into power after the contentious national election in February. While it is not part of the federal government, the PPP has its government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.
Sharif’s government has relied on the PPP’s crucial votes in parliament to pass the national budget and key constitutional amendments earlier this year.
Pakistan PM forms committee to resolve tensions with key coalition ally
https://arab.news/g9v34
Pakistan PM forms committee to resolve tensions with key coalition ally
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar key members of committee
- PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari last week criticized federal government for imposing Internet restrictions, other issues
In rare engagement, KP raises fund release issues with Pakistan’s federal authorities
- PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has previously complained of limited financial cooperation from Islamabad
- Talks follow a rise in militant violence in the province and a PM-CM meeting on security and development
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb met Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Adviser Muzamil Aslam on Tuesday to discuss the release of funds under the National Finance Commission (NFC) and other fiscal matters, in a rare instance of visible engagement despite strained relations between the two sides.
The KP government, led by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, has in the past complained of a lack of financial cooperation from Islamabad.
The talks came amid a rise in militant violence in and around KP’s tribal districts, which were merged into the province in 2018 but continue to face acute development challenges.
“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team highlighted the operational and development imperatives in the merged districts and underscored the importance of predictable and timely releases to sustain ongoing schemes and meet pressing needs on the ground,” the finance ministry said in a statement circulated after the meeting.
“The Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue listened to the issues raised by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa delegation and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to cooperative federalism and constructive engagement with the provinces,” it added.
The finance minister assured the KP team of the ministry’s support “in pursuing and facilitating their rightful claims for allocations under the NFC and other relevant heads discussed during the meeting, in accordance with applicable rules, agreed frameworks, and due process.”
The ministry said discussions also covered ongoing consultations on NFC-related matters, including technical discussions and sub-group engagements, with both sides agreeing to maintain close coordination through relevant forums to address outstanding issues and support development objectives and service delivery.
The conversation between the KP and federal authorities came only a day after a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in which they discussed closer collaboration on security and development.
The meeting was notable given Pakistan’s deeply polarized political landscape where Sharif’s administration and Khan’s PTI party have mostly hurled accusations against each other, making such institutional engagements rare between them.
