PPP likely to join Centre as power-sharing talks advance

The move comes after weeks of tension between the PPP and PML-N over budget allocations and controversial tax measures

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After extending crucial support to the federal budget, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is expected to formally join the federal government in July, with the distribution of ministries likely to be finalised next month, sources told Express News.

The move comes after weeks of tension between the PPP and the ruling Paksitan Muslim League (PML-N) over budget allocations and controversial tax measures, which had prompted strong criticism from the PPP. The party had accused the government of sidelining Sindh and threatened to withhold support for the budget unless its demands were addressed.

However, the deadlock eased when the government agreed to a number of key concessions, including a 20% increase in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) budget and the rollback of proposed powers for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to arrest taxpayers without warrants.

Addressing the National Assembly on Thursday, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had said his party would support the federal budget after the government accepted its demands to raise the BISP allocation to Rs716 billion, exempt income tax for salaried individuals earning up to Rs100,000, and reduce sales tax on solar panels.

Sources familiar with the negotiations say the PPP’s budget support has paved the way for a broader power-sharing arrangement with the PML-N, brokered in part by the establishment. They added that the establishment had assured PPP leadership there would be no change in government and that political continuity was essential for national stability.

“The message was clear: the system must continue — and it will,” a source close to the talks said.

Efforts are also underway to bring other political forces on board as part of a larger consensus-building initiative.

In the next phase, the PPP is expected to become part of the Punjab government, sources said. Backchannel talks between the two parties are already in progress, though a final agreement has yet to be reached.