LAHORE:
The leaders of the Pukistan Popular Party (PPP) of Punjab demolished a flood of complaints against the Punjab government led by Maryam Nawaz during a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, who did not offer concrete guarantees to resolve the concerns, according to the sources
President Zardari, who was in Punjab for equestrian events, met with the governor of Punjab, Sardar Salim Haider, Khan and the members of the PPP parliamentary party at the Governor’s house on Wednesday. Former Punjab Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood governor was also present.
During the meeting, party leaders expressed frustration, so they called the Punjab government failure to honor coalition agreements, particularly with respect to administrative matters.
Their complaints focused on the alleged abuse by the provincial administration.
The sources aware of the meeting revealed that PPP leaders regretted being treated as a “friendly opposition” instead of coalition partners, neglecting their administrative concerns, even in areas where they have the majority.
They affirmed that their constituencies were careless in development projects, regretting that government machinery returns to deaf ears to their concerns, refusing to recognize them in the least.
The leaders urged Zardari to intensify the problem at the federal level, saying that multiple previous meetings that have taken place in the recent past failed to obtain results.
They also warned that the current agreement was a thorn on the PPP side in Punjab. A leader also informed the president of the security situation in southern Punjab.
President Zardari, according to experts, assured the leaders that he would address the matter with the leadership of PML-N, but reminded them that the coalition was formed by necessity instead of the election.
According to the reports, he transmitted that the problems would be addressed before the next budget, while recognizing the efforts of the PPP to hold the PML-N responsible with its commitments. He urged party leaders to put the sleeves and work harder to guarantee the return of the PPP in the province while amplifying public concerns.
However, a Punjab leader expressed skepticism about the guarantees, saying that it only indicated that the provincial leaders had no few options than soldiers under the same agreement.
He said Maryam Nawaz was too stubborn to pay attention to the advice, even his uncle, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
However, he said that at least for now, the PPP would not separate from the coalition for the good of Punjab.
The Meeting was Attended by PPP Parliamentary Leader Ali Haider Gillani, Sardar Mumtaz Ali Chang, Mian Wasif Mazha Nargis Faiz Malik, Neelum Jabbar and Shazia Abid.
