Divorce in Punjab: PML-N, PPP to part ways tomorrow

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) decides to distance itself from its partner in the Punjab government.

LAHORE: A decision in principle has been taken by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to distance itself from its partner in the Punjab government, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). As a consequence, the PML-N leadership has decided to expel members from the PPP, who are holding portfolios in the provincial cabinet, within this month.

But at the same time, the Raiwind leadership has left a small opening for the PPP by deferring a mass movement to dislodge the government in the centre “in order to give time to the PPP to implement the 10-point economic agenda spelt out by PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif.”

These decisions were made at a consultative meeting convened at Mian Nawaz Sharif’s palatial Raiwind Estate on Wednesday. Sharif presided over the meeting which also decided to assign four ministries and seven posts of parliamentary secretaries to members from the ‘Unification Bloc’ which comprises dissident lawmakers from the PML-Q.

However, the PML-N is undecided on the procedure for expelling the PPP ministers, it is believed.. “It is thinking to either de-notify them  (the ministers) or dissolve the provincial cabinet to be rid of them,” said an official who asked not to be named.

Most members of the PML-N and the ‘Unification Bloc’ present at the Raiwind meeting insisted that the PPP ministers should be de-notified.

These decisions were not officially confirmed by the PML-N. But Mian Nawaz Sharif’s Political Secretary Asif Kirmani said that the party chief would announce the decisions on February 25 in Islamabad after the meeting of PML-N’s central executive committee and parliamentary committee.

The PPP is the junior partner in the Punjab government with 106 members. It has a share of seven of 16 ministries and 13 of 35 parliamentary secretaries.

The PML-N’s deadline for the implementation of its economic agenda will expire on February 24, and according to sources, Mian Nawaz Sharif was to announce the decision of expelling the PPP ministers the same day. However, the decision was put off for a day because he has to attend meetings of PML-N’s divisional coordinators and party workers from southern Punjab on Thursday (today).

Sources said that Ishaq Dar, who is close to the party leadership, informed Mian Nawaz Sharif that the PPP wanted more time to implement the PML-N agenda.

It is learnt that Sharif has been in touch with party workers, think-tanks and other quarters over the matter. One of the think-tanks suggested the move to postpone the mass protest because of the Cricket world cup.

PPP’s seven ministers likely to be removed are minister for finance and P&D Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, population welfare Neelam Jabbar Chaudhy, labour and human rights Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna, information, youth affairs and culture Tanvirul Islam, senior minister and minister for irrigation Raja Riaz and chairman of the Board of Revenue Haji Muhammad Ishaq while the post of Farooq Yousaf Ghurki is also likely to be denotified as the Punjab government has already abolished the department of information technology.

The Punjab chief minister is already looking after 12 departments.

Senior Minister Raja Riaz said that PPP ministers would comment on the issue after a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari.

Published in The  Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2011.