PPP assuming role of opposition: governor

Saleem Haider says people facing unemployment, inflation

LAHORE:

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has said that those who had been supporting the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in implementing its policies and defending its decisions have reached the limits of their endurance.

Speaking to a media delegation at the Governor's House on Monday, he said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had now assumed the role of an opposition party.

He said the party would continue to function as a genuine opposition until the next general elections, scheduled for 2029.

He made it clear that the PPP would not return to the present coalition arrangement following the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections and would instead play the role of an effective opposition, particularly in Punjab.

The governor said the PPP had never favoured coalition governments as a means of running the country, even during the previous parliamentary term. Although the party was widely regarded as an ally of the PML-N-led government, he said it was, in practice, steadily moving into opposition.

He maintained that those backing the present government appeared increasingly powerless in the face of poor governance and allegations of corruption.

Responding to a question, the PPP leader said differences within the party had been resolved to enable it to function more effectively in opposition.

He also dismissed speculation over a power-sharing arrangement at the federal level.

He said the people of the country were grappling with rising unemployment and persistent inflation. The PPP, he added, would continue to raise these issues publicly to mobilise support while also exerting political pressure on the government to improve its performance and deliver meaningful relief to the public.