PPP threatens to withdraw support for govt

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has threatened to stop supporting the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led federal government for what it said not taking the party into confidence on key decisions.

In a statement, PPP leader and spokesperson Shazia Marri said that the federal government was constantly and openly violating the constitution and that the party was not being taken into confidence on important decisions.

“The day the PPP withdraws its support, the government will collapse,” Shazia Marri said

Reacting to the establishment of the Maritime and Seaport Authority, she said that the federal government did not take the PPP before establishing the port authority.

She said that the Sindh government and the PPP were kept in the dark on the establishment of the authority.

“The federal government is repeatedly saying that it has the support of the PPP but the day the PPP withdrew its support, the government will collapse,” the PPP spokesperson said adding that this support should not be taken for granted.

Shazia Murri said that they have been demanding for a meeting of the Council of Common Interests but it has not been convened for the last 11 months despite the fact that the prime minister was constitutionally obliged to call the meeting every three months.

She demanded that the issue of the establishment of the Maritime and Seaport Authority should be brought to the Council of Common Interests.

“Is it prudent to sabotage the constitution on important national issues without taking the allies and provinces into confidence? The federal government’s action is beyond comprehension, which will further widen the gap.”

She said that it would be better for all if the country is run on constitutional and legal principles. She said that before considering recommendations of the task force on the maritime sector, maritime affairs and KPT proposals, the opinions of allies and provinces should be heard first.

It should be noted that earlier, the PPP had expressed concerns about the representation of the PPP in the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) and not getting equal opportunities for political activities in Punjab, on which two rounds of negotiations were held between the two parties last month.

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The first meeting was held on December 9 to resolve the growing differences between the PML-N and the PPP, but it remained inconclusive and no statement was issued from either side.

While expressing concern over the hasty legislation in the Parliament, the PPP had clearly said that if the PML-N needs our support, it must give importance to its allies and change its attitude.

According to sources, the PPP leaders had also expressed concern over the proposed construction of six canals on the Indus River in the Cholistan area of ​​Punjab.

The PPP drew the attention of PML-N leaders to the ongoing protests in different areas of Sindh against the project and on the issue of water distribution between provinces.

PPP leaders had sought an explanation from the PML-N as to where they would get water for the Cholistan canals, warning that the project could lead the country to a drought-like situation.

Later, in the meeting held in the last week of December, the two parties reached an agreement on various issues related to power-sharing in Punjab.