PM Shehbaz moves to address PPP’s concerns on budget

• PPP chairman to attend meeting led by premier.
• Bilawal complains PM didn't fulfil promises in budget.
• Iqbal suggest discussing matter in cabinet.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday will chair a meeting to sort out the differences regarding the recently-presented budget with his biggest coalition partner in the government, Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

The meeting will also be attended by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as well as ministers and experts related to the financial affairs of both parties.

In a rally held in Swat on Saturday, Bilawal — who is also the PPP's chairman — complained to the prime minister about not being able to fulfil his promises in the budget. 

He warned that his party would not allow approval of the financial bill if no money were received for the rehabilitation of flood victims in Sindh.

Reacting to the foreign minister's statement, Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Minister Ahsan Iqbal suggested discussing the matter in the cabinet and avoiding opening a new front.

When speaking to Geo News on Sunday, the minister said the coalition partners were consulted on every stage of preparation of the federal budget and its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.

He said that the 2023-24 federal budget was tabled in the National Assembly with the consent of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Responding to Bilawal’s warning, he said the PPP-backed Sindh chief minister's objections over the budget were removed by the economic team. 

He questioned why objections were being raised now when the budget was approved with consensus in the NEC meeting. Similarly, he said the federal cabinet also approved the budget.

Iqbal said some funds were also increased in the budget on the demand of CM Shah and added that most of the Rs80 billion funds for flood victims were given to the country's southern province. 

Under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, the planning minister said, they were trying to make all decisions with allies with consensus. He added that the input of all allies was included in the preparation of the budget.

The senior PML-N leader warned that opening any new front by the coalition partners would only weaken the government and would not benefit any party.

Referring to Bhutto’s speech in Swat, Iqbal said the coalition partners’ criticism of each other would cause uncertainty in the country and the ruling coalition could not afford it at this stage.

He said whatever concerns the PPP had could be resolved through discussion in the cabinet meeting. He made it clear to the PPP leadership that the premier had always given the allies importance and sought their input on all crucial issues.

Meanwhile, caretaker Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi met former president and PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari in Dubai, who underwent an eye operation there recently. 

According to the sources, Naqvi left for Dubai three or four days ago and visited the former president. 

Sources say the former president also spoke about the concerns of PPP leaders during the meeting. However, caretaker Information Minister Punjab Amir Mir said he did not know about the caretaker chief minister’s meeting with the former president.

Meanwhile, sources said the PML-N and PPP leaders would meet here on Monday (today) to discuss and settle their differences regarding the financial issues.

The meeting, which is likely to be chaired by PM Shehbaz and attended by FM Bilawal among others, is being termed crucial because the PPP leaders have been criticising the budgetary allocations lately. 

The first meeting in this regard between the two political parties also presided over by the premier, took place earlier this week, but the PPP chairman was unable to attend it.