Islamabad / Lahore:
Alarmed by the spectrum of crawling provincialism, triggered by the beards of the Tat-to-Tat on the response of the floods, the first leadership of the Pakistani peoples (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were nestled on Wednesday in order to eliminate tensions and harmonists of salvage coalition.
The president of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq intervened as a mediator, organizing a meeting between the two parts of his room to defuse tensions.
In Lahore, during this time, the chief of the PPP Qamar Zaman Kaira denounced the recent speeches of the chief minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, as “inappropriate”.
The criticisms attracted an immediate response from the Minister of Information of Punjab, Azma Bukhari, who accused the PPP of politicizing the relief of the floods and of unjustly distinguishing the Punjab.
The PPP delegation, led by Syed Naveed Qamar and Aijaz Jakhrani, met the management of the PML-N, which included Vice-Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Senator Rana Sanaullah and Rana Mubashir, among others.
During the meeting in the federal capital, PPP leaders raised objections on recent declarations and speeches delivered by Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz. Naveed Qamar stressed that “negative declarations by coalition partners damage unity” and warned that continuous verbal exchanges on both sides would be “inappropriate”.
After discussions, the two parties agreed to stop the war of words against each other in order to preserve the harmony of the coalition.
Qamar Zamman Kaira
Addressing a press conference at the PPP secretariat in Lahore, Kaira criticized Maryam’s remarks, such as “we will break our hands and languages of silence”, affirming that such a language was incontesting a coalition partner.
He stressed that the PPP had supported the PML-N in good faith, repeatedly urging the implementation of the written agreements which have never been fully honored. “We do not only give advice, we give opinions. If these are not aged, then criticism is our democratic law,” he said.
He said that the PPP would rent a good job where it was done, but also reserved the right to criticize failures, citing recent floods as an example.
Referring to the CM comments, Kaira said: “We have been told that anyone gets his finger, he will be broken. Bilawal Bhutto tried with great patience to get things done. We are the punjabis. When Bilawal visited the areas affected by the floods, he praised the work of the Punjab CM. empty”.
He stressed that each time the PPP raised concerns, as on NFC allowances or the rehabilitation of the victims of the floods, the Sindh was unjustly targeted. “We are not asking for the sharing of power, but we support the government. Do not forget the last time we have separated,” he warned.
Kaira insisted that giving proposals to rehabilitate floods should not be misinterpreted as an attack on Punjab. “Thanks to Bisp, an initial aid is provided. If you want to give the victims millions, then go ahead, but you are not only the CM of Punjab … You are also the daughter of Nawaz Sharif,” he said.
He praised the BISP as “the number one program of poverty on a global scale” and called on managers to exercise a restraint. “Should you leave the Punjab? You go up, but do not finish the rights of others. Your words should strengthen the federation, not weaken it,” he added.
When asked if the PML-N still needed PPP after the decision on the reserved seats, Kaira refused to answer. “Answer this will increase bitterness, so I won’t do it.”
Azma Bukhari
Punjab Minister of Information, Azma Bukhari, firmly condemned Kaira’s remarks, saying that the PPP was “racing” to hold press lectures against the Punjab government.
“You claim not to politicize the fate of the victims of the floods, but you hold pressors against the Punjab? Before criticizing Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of the Punjab, you should have looked at your own past,” she said.
“The party whose leader was a woman now collectively targets a leading woman. Keep your popularity in view before questioning ours. Such statements will not affect us, and they will not help PPP stand.”
Bukhari accused PPP of “Pointing his fingers in Punjab in unison”, adding that CM Maryam, his cabinet and provincial institutions were with flood victims “from the first day”.
“As a mature politician of Punjab, it is disappointing that you have chosen to politicize the victims of the punjab floods. When you make personal attacks, wait for the same thing in return,” she warned.
She said PPP was free to use Bisp in the Sindh. “You can give victims 10,000 rupees there, but Maryam Nawaz gives 1 million rupees to the victims of Punjab because that’s what they need.”
“Punjab’s resources belong to its inhabitants. We do not need anyone’s advice on how to spend them. With provincial funds, Punjab has built 20,000 kilometers of roads and more than 90 Maryam Nawaz initiatives are funded without a single roupie from the Federation. As punjabis, it should make you proud, not resolutely,” she added.
