ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have consented to address their political differences through dialogue and cooperation, following a series of public disputes between the two key coalition allies in recent days, as reported by The News on Friday.
According to PPP sources, the party plans to present the government’s assurances and the details of its discussion with the prime minister to its Central Executive Committee, which is convening on October 18 (Saturday) in Karachi. The committee will use this information to determine the party’s future course of action.
During the meeting, Bilawal reportedly conveyed his party’s concerns regarding the functioning of the Punjab government and a perceived lack of consultation on the province’s legislative and administrative matters.
In response, the Prime Minister assured him that the PPP’s reservations would be resolved amicably. He stressed the importance of strengthening coalition harmony and avoiding unnecessary friction. Both sides agreed to settle misunderstandings and political differences through consultation and mutual respect.
This consensus was reached during a meeting between a PPP delegation, led by Bilawal, and PM Shehbaz at the PM Office. The PPP side included senior figures such as Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Senator Sherry Rehman, and Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari. They were met by a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) team that included Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
The high-level huddle occurred days after the allies were engaged in a searing war of words, which originated from a disagreement over providing flood compensation through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). The PPP had advocated for this method, a proposition rejected by the Punjab government.
The dispute escalated with sharp retorts from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, leading to the PPP staging walkouts in parliament and issuing veiled threats to withdraw from the coalition. CM Maryam had defended her position, stating she would not apologize for speaking up for her province and that those who mocked Punjab during calamities should seek forgiveness.
The verbal confrontation subsided only after a PML-N delegation, including Deputy PM Dar, met with President Asif Ali Zardari in Nawabshah.
‘Not Being Given Due Importance’
PPP sources stated that during his meeting with PM Shehbaz, Chairman Bilawal clearly articulated that his party was not being accorded due importance as a coalition partner at both the federal and Punjab levels. He complained that while the PPP leadership had spoken positively about PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz, his party had in return faced public criticism and political backlash.
Government sources indicated that many of the PPP’s complaints were linked to the conduct of the PML-N’s political leadership in Punjab—issues they believed were best resolved at a party-to-party level. Both sides ultimately agreed to maintain a ceasefire on political rhetoric and to continue their dialogue concerning Punjab-related matters.
This meeting followed an earlier discussion between a PPP delegation and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar that ended without a breakthrough, though both parties agreed to keep communication channels open. In that meeting, the PPP leaders had conveyed serious reservations about governance and decision-making in Punjab, citing the passage of local government laws without consulting coalition partners and a lack of progress on an agreed-upon power-sharing formula for the province.
