PPP walks out of NA as Maryam stands firm
The widening crack in the coalition deepened on Friday as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) walked out of the National Assembly over Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's fiery remarks on water rights and flood relief, while the PML-N leadership at the Centre appeared to be scrambling to contain the fallout.
The rift, long simmering in the wake of recent floods and war of words, spilled onto the floor of the house when senior PPP leader Syed Naveed Qamar stood up to object to Maryam's recent speeches.
"When we say it is our water, it means Sindh's water. What does 'our canal, our water, our choice' mean?" he asked, adding that the comments were deeply regrettable. "We have been accused of propping up this government, but we can just as easily sit on opposition benches."
Moments later, the PPP lawmakers walked out.
Qamar maintained that the party had been given assurances, but lamented that "on the ground, the situation remains unchanged". "We have protested and we will continue to walk out until there is seriousness."
Federal government reassures PPP
Later, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar expressed confidence that the concerns raised by PPP members, who are allies in the government, would be resolved.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Dar said that whenever issues had arisen in the past, they were settled amicably through dialogue, and the same would happen this time as well.
He assured the House that the matter was neither "serious nor unresolvable" and would be addressed within the next few days.
Dar informed the House that he had already met PPP colleagues, including senior leader Naveed Qamar, in the presence of the speaker, the law minister and the minister for parliamentary affairs to hear their concerns.
He said that both sides, PML-N and PPP, were committed to resolving the matter through mutual understanding.
"The exchange of accusations and counter-accusations must stop, and I am hopeful that the situation will calm down. With Allah's grace, we will succeed in putting things back on track," he said.
Maryam Nawaz
Meanwhile, addressing the inauguration ceremony of Phase II of the electric bus project in Lahore, CM Maryam Nawaz defended her position, saying she was misrepresented. "When I say 'our water,' I mean Punjab's water, not Jati Umra's," she clarified.
Maryam recalled how she had personally called K-P CM Ali Amin Gandapur from Thailand after hearing that 500 people had died in a cloudburst, offering Punjab's support. "When disaster struck us, Punjab's wounds were salted. While our rescue work was underway, press conferences mocked us," she said.
The CM rejected criticism over not seeking international assistance. "When the intention is to serve, one does not need to beg before anyone. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's people are our people, but they were incited against Punjab... this is prejudice," she said.
Maryam also took a firm line on water distribution, insisting Punjab's farmers had rights that had been politicised. "I will not apologise for defending Punjab's rights. If you speak against Punjab, there will be a strong response," she asserted.
Unveiling the new buses, Maryam announced the addition of 40 more "Electro Buses" for Lahore, with fares kept at just Rs20 and free rides for senior citizens, students, women and persons with disabilities. She called the project a "gift to the people of Punjab".
On the other hand, PPP's Central Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan lashed out in response, saying Maryam had become "the real problem for Punjab".
"Those pointing out public issues are being branded Punjab's enemies. Hundreds of kilometres of Punjab's land is still under water, but Maryam's obsession is Bilawal Bhutto," he said.
Chan alleged that Punjab's towns, schools, hospitals and roads were still submerged, but instead of addressing farmers' plight, Maryam was engaged in "ethnic posturing".
"I am a Punjabi, and Punjabis will not stand with a CM who drowned them in floods. At a time when agriculture has suffered billions in losses, Maryam remembers political jibes instead of ruined farmers," he added.
He accused her of prioritising "self-projection" over governance. "Punjab's people want local government elections, not rallies. The looming food security crisis will be on Maryam Nawaz's shoulders for failing to counter the flood disaster," Chan added.