PPP Wavering on Budget Debate Participation, Alleges PML-N of Violating Agreement
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is reconsidering its participation in the National Assembly’s general debate on the federal budget, citing grievances with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for not consulting them before announcing the budget. The PPP accuses the PML-N of violating a written agreement by announcing the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) without provincial consultations.
While the PML-N has made contact with the PPP leadership, no substantial progress has been made to address the concerns. The PPP is expected to make a final decision on participating in the debate before the National Assembly session begins. Despite expressing dissatisfaction, the PPP does not want to destabilize the government or the country.
There is hope for resolution as senior PML-N leader Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry anticipates a positive outcome before the session. The PPP’s eleventh-hour decision to boycott the budget speech earlier surprised the ruling coalition, but a last-minute intervention led to a token representation. The parties will continue the general budget debate until June 24, with the budget expected to be passed on June 28.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari are expected to meet before the National Assembly session, aiming to address the ongoing issues surrounding the budget debate.