File photo of P.M. Shehbaz Sharif, courtesy PID
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to chair a meeting of members of the ruling coalition this week to resolve concerns expressed by coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over the proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-24.
On Saturday, while addressing rally in Swat, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari—also the chairman of the PPP—complained that the prime minister had not fulfilled his promise to allocate funds for the rehabilitation of flood victims in Sindh. Claiming that he did not doubt Sharif’s sincerity, Bhutto-Zardari said some members of “his team” were resisting efforts to allocate funds for flood relief. He warned that his party would not support the passage of the finance bill—which would be a virtual vote of no-confidence—if sufficient funding were not allocated for the rehabilitation of flood victims in Sindh.
The PPP isn’t the only coalition partner to voice criticism of the proposed budget. During the ongoing debates on the budget in the National Assembly, North Waziristan MNA Mohsin Dawar has refused to speak in protest over the arrest and alleged torture of a political worker. Nauman Islam Shaikh, a PPP MNA from Sukkur, has meanwhile said the policies of Ishaq Dar’s predecessor, Miftah Ismail, were preferable to those of the incumbent.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal advised Bhutto-Zardari to air his grievances in cabinet meetings, rather than in public. Appearing on Geo News, he said all coalition partners were consulted at every stage of the proposed budget’s preparation, adding that the budget was tabled in the National Assembly with the consent of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. He further claimed that economic team had resolved some objections raised by Shah.
On the demand for flood relief, he said most of the Rs. 80 billion released for flood victims were given to Sindh. Nonetheless, he said, P.M. Sharif wished to proceed with consensus.
To a question, he lamented that Bhutto-Zardari’s speech in Swat would just boost uncertainty, which the ruling coalition could not afford at this stage. He also reiterated that all concerns could be resolved through discussion in cabinet meetings. “Instead of criticizing political allies in public meetings, all complaints should be taken to Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif,” he added.