'Over-the-top hype' a drain on public coffers

As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) basks in its self-congratulatory praise over Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's governance, its key ally, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), remains unimpressed.

The party believes that despite the relentless media blitz, Maryam's initiatives lack vision and have yet to win hearts or ballots in Punjab.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, PPP spokesperson Shazia Marri denounced the extravagant media coverage of Maryam's governance, pointing out that genuine service delivery spoke for itself and required minimal publicity - something evident in Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah's performance in the PPP-led province.

While maintaining that moderate media outreach was par for the course for any government – whether at the Centre or in Punjab - the Maryam-led province's over-the-top projection was an unjustifiable drain on public funds.

The PPP leader further noted that despite the intense media campaigning, Maryam Nawaz's government was failing to gain traction with the people. Even PML-N was aware of this, which is why it has intensified its paid media campaigns, she added.

Marri accused PML-N of testing the PPP's patience by treating it like an opposition party rather than a key ally in the ruling coalition, warning that if this cold attitude persisted, the PPP would make its move at the right time.

She clarified that PPP had never sought ministries from PML-N but had only requested political space - something the latter had been unwilling to provide despite forming a government with PPP's support.

She alleged that despite forming its government with PPP's support, PML-N had been so discourteous that it failed to address any of its concerns.

Taking another jab at the ruling party, she said if PML-N thinks funnelling all public welfare projects through its own ranks will win over the electorate, it was sorely mistaken. She noted that voters rally behind political ideologies, adding that this is where PML-N falls short.

When asked about calls from within Punjab for Aseefa Bhutto to lead the party in the province, she described the young Bhutto scion as a valuable asset already making invaluable contributions to the party.

However, she clarified that the top leadership would decide to formally launch Aseefa in Punjab. She added that the party was fortunate to have young leaders who could effectively connect with the country's youth.

It is worth mentioning that some PPP leaders in Punjab believe that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has failed to revive the party's fortunes in the province, where it is rapidly losing ground. They are calling for Aseefa's entry into Punjab's political landscape.