Maryam wants to destabilise Shehbaz's govt: Ali Haider

Says PPP formed govt in Sindh through the power of votes

LAHORE:

There was no prior arrangement under which the PML-N was to secure Punjab while the PPP retained Sindh, said Ali Haider Gillani, PPP's parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly.

"We formed the government in Sindh through the power of votes," he remarked, terming Maryam Nawaz's recent tirade against the PPP a deliberate attempt to destabilise her uncle Shehbaz Sharif's federal government.

Gillani noted that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto's praise for the relief work carried out in Punjab under Maryam's leadership should have been enough to satisfy the provincial government.

"However, it seems the PML-N government in Punjab is on a mission to destabilise Shehbaz Sharif's government at the Centre," he said, adding that routine criticism offered in good faith had been blown out of proportion and turned into a political feud, even laced with parochial undertones.

"Punjab is not the personal property of the PML-N, and South Punjab should not be treated as its backyard," he stressed. "Fifty million people are being governed remotely by an administration that operates hundreds of kilometers away." He reminded that two resolutions calling for the creation of a South Punjab province were passed in the provincial assembly with PML-N's backing.

Gillani's remarks come amid growing tensions. Recently, the provincial opposition leader sent a report to the PPP chairman highlighting unmet alliance promises and what he called betrayals by the Punjab government. The PML-N at the Centre had earlier apologized for misgivings with the PPP and indicated the possibility of a leadership-level meeting to resolve matters, calling it a "within-the-family" issue. However, Gillani suggested the PPP was now compiling a list of grievances against Maryam Nawaz's Punjab government.

He pointed out that Maryam, as Nawaz Sharif's political heir, enjoys greater authority than anyone else in the party, a reality reflected in the working of both provincial and federal governments.

When asked about the report submitted to the chairman, Gillani said the PPP leadership had been informed about commitments made by the Punjab government that were never fulfilled. "From the induction of our law officers to appointments on boards and committees, our demands have been ignored. Even privilege motions moved by our MPAs are either thrown out or given little attention," he complained.

"We have done our best to keep this alliance intact," Gillani concluded. "But if Maryam Nawaz is determined to destabilise her own uncle's government, there is little we can do about it."