ISLAMABAD: In a bid to quell rising tensions within the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday telephoned Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, hours after senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders huddled with President Asif Ali Zardari in Nawabshah.
The diplomatic overture followed weeks of public sparring between the two coalition partners, ignited by a bitter dispute over flood compensation and control of relief disbursement through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
The PPP, holding firm that BISP must be the central mechanism for distributing aid, pushed back strongly against what it viewed as the Punjab government’s unilateral handling of relief efforts.
The row escalated after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz accused coalition allies of politicising the province’s flood crisis – statements that drew sharp rebuke from the PPP.
In retaliation, PPP lawmakers staged walkouts in both houses of Parliament, hinted at quitting the coalition, and demanded a public apology from the chief minister – a demand Maryam pointedly ignored.
To douse the political fire, President Zardari tasked Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi with mediating. Soon after, an emergency delegation – led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and comprising National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Naqvi himself – was dispatched to Nawabshah for a closed-door meeting with the PPP co-chairman. According to insiders, Zardari urged the PML-N camp to rein in its rhetoric and steer the coalition back toward dialogue rather than open confrontation.
The visiting delegation, sources say, conceded that the alliance could ill afford further cracks, agreeing that internal disputes must be handled quietly and constructively.
Later in the day, the PPP confirmed via X that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had spoken with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The call reportedly touched on the political climate, foreign policy coordination, and ongoing flood relief operations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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