After weeks of heated exchanges, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have decided to end their war of words. The breakthrough came following an emergency meeting between senior leaders of both parties at Zardari House in Nawabshah.
The PML-N delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, included National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Their visit followed President Asif Ali Zardari’s intervention to ease growing tensions between the Sindh and Punjab governments.
During the meeting, sources revealed that President Zardari urged both sides to exercise restraint and avoid public confrontation. The PML-N delegation agreed, suggesting that future disagreements be handled privately rather than through media statements.
According to insiders, Ishaq Dar played a key role in resolving misunderstandings and rebuilding trust between the two coalition partners. The discussion reportedly aimed to stop the cycle of tit-for-tat comments that began over the flood compensation issue under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
The PPP had pushed for distributing aid to flood victims through BISP, but the Punjab government opposed the move. The matter escalated when Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz accused political rivals of exploiting the province’s suffering for political gain.
Her remarks sparked backlash from PPP lawmakers, who staged walkouts in the Senate and National Assembly, demanding an apology. However, CM Maryam refused, insisting she had only defended Punjab and would continue to do so.
The situation prompted PML-N ministers to question Sindh’s governance under the PPP, further straining ties between the two allies.
To defuse the crisis, President Zardari contacted Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi earlier this week to ensure stability within the ruling coalition. With both sides now agreeing to a “ceasefire,” political observers see this as a positive step toward maintaining unity in the federal setup.
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