ISLAMABAD:
In a familiar turn of events, the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) – a key ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – strongly objected to the federal budget on Monday, accusing the government of discriminating against Sindh and threatening a potential boycott of the budget approval process.
The criticism has come during the budget season when internal tensions between the coalition partners annually surface before they are settled, at least till now. Last year, a similar standoff between PPPP and PMLN had emerged, which the main opposition party had dubbed a “fixed fight” aimed at deflecting attention from public scrutiny.
Seeing both PPPP and PMLN at odds once again, sources said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has offered PPPP its support in blocking the budget if it was serious. Sources said that PTI’s senior leader Asad Qaiser met PPPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf at Parliament House and proposed that if PPPP was serious about boycotting the vote, the opposition party was ready to coordinate efforts.
Hoping to create a schism between the ruling party and its key ally, Qaiser reportedly said that a joint stance could increase pressure on the government. However, Ashraf reportedly assured Qaiser that the offer would be conveyed to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is expected to join parliamentary proceedings soon.
Addressing journalists earlier, PPPP central spokesperson Shazia Atta Marri described the 2025-26 federal budget as a “dangerous game” being played with Sindh. She alleged that federal projects under the Public Works Department (PWD) meant for Sindh have been transferred to the federal housing ministry rather than being handed over to the provincial government, unlike similar projects in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Marri alleged that transferring PWD’s urban development projects to the federal ministry was a violation of provincial autonomy. “It seems they believe Sindh is not capable of managing its own schemes, while other provinces are considered competent,” she said.
Emphasizing if Sindh’s development projects are not handed over to the province, she said, PPP will not hesitate to take extreme measures – possibly withdrawing support to the federal government. She revealed that PPP initially refrained from giving a strong reaction as talks with the ruling party were ongoing and there was hope that Sindh’s PSDP allocations and federal commitments would be honored.
However, she said, it was now clear that not only Sindh but also Punjab, particularly central Punjab and the Seraiki belt, have been neglected in the budget. She also criticized reduced funding for Sindh’s universities, calling the allocation of Rs2.5 billion instead of the expected Rs4.8 billion unacceptable.
On energy, Marri pointed out a contradiction in government policy, questioning the rationale of imposing an 18% tax on solar panels while terming solar energy a national priority. Citing further discrepancies, Marri noted that just Rs15 billion funds have been allocated for the Sukkur Motorway in the budget, when its total cost of the project is Rs400 billion.
She also claimed that PPPP lawmakers in Punjab were sidelined in PSDP allocations and that the Seraiki belt was largely ignored. She concluded by saying the party’s final decision, including any potential boycott, would be made in consultation with PPP chairman and that objections will be raised across all relevant forums before the PMLN government. “We are pursuing a firm strategy. If the government fails to listen, our response will be equally firm,” she warned.
Last year, PMLN and PPPP also had face-off as main ally of PML-N government had only a token participation in the National Assembly’s budget session after the ruling party didn’t bother to address PPPP’s reservations about budget.
“The PML-N has violated the agreement that it reached with PPPP before forming the government in the Center as it has not taken any input from its key ally in the PSDP budget,” Marri had shared with The Express Tribune last year, “the government is taking us for granted.”
Subsequently, PPP had linked its support for the budget and other issues to receiving more share of power in Punjab after a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal. In addition to receiving “more space” in Punjab and its set-up, it had emerged that the PPP sought additional development budget for its lawmakers in the province.
