Pakistan: PPP gives one-month ultimatum to govt over unfulfilled coalition promises

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 19 : The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has issued a one-month deadline to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led federal government, urging it to deliver on the pledges made during the formation of the ruling coalition, The Express Tribune reported.

According to The Express Tribune, the party warned that it would reassess its stance and consider its future course of action if the commitments are not met.

During a press conference following a meeting of the PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC), senior party leader Senator Sherry Rehman, alongside PPP Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan and Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, said the party had communicated its concerns directly to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

"In Punjab, people, especially farmers, are in extreme distress... Their lands and livestock have been swept away by floods, leaving them with a bleak and uncertain future. On this issue, party Chairman [Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari] has repeatedly stressed, and the federal government will have to agree, that the wheat procurement price should be set so that farmers receive incentives, get access to DAP and urea, and can stand on their own feet, just as Sindh had initiated," she said, as quoted by The Express Tribune.

Rehman noted that meetings had been held with both the president and the Pakistani prime minister, where the PPP outlined its concerns.

"The next day, Chairman Bilawal also took his team to Bilawal House, where further discussions were held. The prime minister had invited him to talk about these matters, and today, Chairman Bilawal briefed the CEC on the PM's commitments," she added, as quoted by The Express Tribune.

She made it clear that the PPP had not sought cabinet roles or political perks.

"The Pakistan Peoples Party has always stood by democracy. We played a major role in government formation; whether it was institutional reforms or social welfare projects, we not only supported them but also helped build consensus. That is why we had hoped our voice would be heard in this coalition," she said, as quoted by The Express Tribune.

Rehman also stated that the federal government had accepted Chairman Bilawal Bhutto's proposal to waive electricity bills for flood-affected citizens.

"Instead of engaging in political point-scoring, I would urge the government to reconsider and utilise the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)," she said, referring to BISP's effective role in disbursing flood relief in 2022, as quoted by The Express Tribune.

Highlighting pending commitments, she remarked, "On matters like government formation and the 26th Amendment, particularly in relation to Punjab and the federal government, promises were made that have not been fulfilled. In the CEC, we have decided to give time to the government and the prime minister. We will meet again after one month and assess what progress has been made on those promises. After that, we will decide our future course of action."

Senator Rehman also reflected on the significance of October 18 for the PPP, marking the 17th anniversary of a deadly attack on former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's homecoming rally.

The twin bombings, which struck Bhutto's convoy in Karachi after her return from an eight-year exile, killed at least 180 people and injured over 500, making it one of Pakistan's deadliest political attacks, The Express Tribune reported.

PPP Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan emphasised that the party had entered the coalition with specific terms, including holding local government elections in Punjab.

"At present, we have reservations about the local government system being introduced in the province. The system is unacceptable to us, and we will raise this matter with the government," he said, as quoted by The Express Tribune.

He also criticised the deteriorating economic situation, citing the closure of industries in Karachi and Faisalabad due to rising energy costs.

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