The top leadership of the ruling PML-N and its key ally PPP met on Thursday to address differences concerning governance and recent policy decisions made by the federal and Punjab governments.
The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s House and followed by a dinner, saw the PPP expressing concerns over the lack of implementation of the agreement made between the two parties during the formation of the government in February.
According to sources within the parties, the PPP delegation, led by party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, conveyed their grievances—mainly regarding the Punjab government—to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his cabinet members.
The parties agreed that their coordination committees would meet at Governor House in Lahore on Sunday to establish a mechanism for ensuring regular communication between the PPP and the Punjab government.
The PM Office later issued a statement noting that the leaders of both parties reviewed the country’s current political situation. The statement quoted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as saying that he had been working towards the country’s development and prosperity in collaboration with the coalition parties.
In addition to Mr. Bhutto-Zardari, the PPP delegation included former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Senate Parliamentary Leader Sherry Rehman, and MNA Naveed Qamar. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supported by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
The meeting was prompted by rising tensions between the ruling allies over issues such as increasing electricity tariffs and the downsizing of ministries as part of austerity measures.
The situation intensified on Friday when PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, alongside his daughter Maryam Nawaz, announced a Rs14 per unit relief for Punjab residents consuming between 200 and 500 units of electricity per month. This move was criticized by the PPP-led Sindh government and the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah accused the PML-N of establishing expensive power plants decades ago, which he claimed were responsible for the high electricity costs. He also criticized the federal government for neglecting Sindh, stating that many projects requiring federal funding remained stalled. Additionally, the PPP expressed serious concerns about the federal government’s policy on downsizing ministries.
During Thursday’s meeting, sources revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed the PPP members that the relief for Punjab was funded entirely by the provincial budget, without any financial support from the federal government.
The two parties agreed to continue cooperating both inside and outside the parliament, with the PML-N reportedly expressing displeasure over the Sindh chief minister’s remarks, calling them “inappropriate.”
Ahsan Iqbal confirmed that the meeting was held in a “cordial atmosphere” and that both parties agreed on the need to work together. He acknowledged that the PPP had raised concerns over the non-implementation of certain points of the initial agreement, particularly those related to the Punjab government.
The Prime Minister asked Rana Sanaullah to develop a mechanism for improved coordination between the PPP and the Punjab government. In response to concerns about the Punjab-specific electricity relief, Ahsan Iqbal said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured the PPP members that reforms in the power sector would be announced soon, with the PPP being consulted beforehand.
The meeting also touched on the upcoming legislative agenda as the government plans to convene the National Assembly session from August 26.
