National Assembly budget debate exposes cracks in ruling coalition

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a major partner in the ruling coalition, on Tuesday continued their criticism of the federal budget for the next fiscal year, lambasting the federal government over its alleged discriminatory policies towards the party-ruled Sindh province.

Taking part in the general debate on the federal budget in the National Assembly, almost every PPP member delivered a similar speech in which they highlighted the “injustices and excesses” being committed by the Centre with the Sindh province by denying its due share in the development plans.

Members of MQM-Pakistan, another key partner in the ruling coalition, also expressed their reservations on meagre allocations for various projects in Sindh, but at the same time they also targeted the PPP-led Sindh government, accusing it of ignoring Karachi.

PPP lawmakers mainly protested over “failure” of the federal government in handing over the projects which were being carried out by now-defunct Public Works Department (PWD) to the Sindh government.

PPP, MQM-P lawmakers clash over Sindh politics; ex-PM Gilani’s son seeks ‘liberation’ from ‘Takht-i-Lahore’ yoke

They recalled that it had already been decided that all projects handled by the PWD would be handed over to provinces, but unlike the three other provinces, the decision was not being applied in Sindh.

On the other hand, MQM-P lawmakers supported the federal government’s move of not handing over the projects to the Sindh government, fearing that the provincial government might not be able to complete them.

The house witnessed verbal skirmishes between the PPP and the MQM-P lawmakers over the issue during the debate as both the parties accused each other of playing a role in “Karachi’s destruction”.

The MQM-P members protested over Shazia Marri’s speech when she indirectly hit out at the party, stating that they would not allow anyone to separate Karachi from Sindh as “Karachi is not the personal property of anyone”.

Aasia Ishaque of the MQM-P was seen going towards the PPP benches to register her protest and a number of PPP leaders stood up in their seats to prevent any possibility of a physical clash as Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari was also sitting next to Ms Marri.

MQM’s Nikhat Shakil alleged that both the federal as well as the Sindh governments were ignoring Karachi. She was of the view that if the federal government was taking responsibility of completing some projects in Sindh, then the PPP should not make hue and cry.

However, Rai Hassan Nawaz of the PTI termed the PPP-MQM rift a drama, stating that at present the two parties were criticising the federal budget but at the end of the day, both of them would vote for the budget.

PPP’s Sadiq Memon said it was true that his party was a partner in the ruling coalition and holding some constitutional offices, but it also had the mandate of the people of Sindh.

PPP’s Abdul Qadir Gilani decried the Punjab government’s discriminatory policy towards south Punjab, stating that sense of deprivation is increasing among the people in the region.

He regretted that only three development schemes had been announced for south Punjab region whereas some 40 plans had been announced for Lahore and central Punjab.

“I don’t know when will we get rid of Takht-i- Lahore [Lahore Kingdom]? But we will continue our struggle,” said Mr Gilani, who is the son of Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, in an apparent reference to the demand for a separate South Punjab province.

The National Assembly will meet again today (Wednesday) at 11am.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2025