By taking advantage of the expanded gap within the ruling coalition, Pakistan Tehreek-E-In-Insaf invited Pakistan Peoples Party to join the hands of launching a confidence in the government against the government.
During a National Assembly Session on Monday, the former speaker and PTI leader Asad Qaiser PPP urged to stop engaging in “friendly fire” and instead take a bold political step.
“PPP has to show courage and move a non-confidence to the government instead of playing a mock-political game,” Qaiser said, responding to the ongoing word war between PPP and the Pakistani Muslim League-Nawaz.
PPP has not yet responded to PTI’s offer.
ASO read: Cracks are expanded in the Govt Alliance as PPP phases Walkout from NA, Senate
Meanwhile, Senator Barrister Ali Zafar from PTI criticized both PPP and PML-N for what he described as a political theater in the midst of a national crisis during a Senate session on Monday.
He said the two reigning coalition partners seemed to be in a competition – not to help the flood victims – but to surpass each other at press conferences and photo opportunities. “Help has not reached the victims; perhaps it has reached their own pockets,” he noted.
Zafar accused both parties of prolonged misconduct and said, “PPP and PML-N have ruled this country the most, yet they compete shamelessly on who has deceived the nation less.”
He complained that while the people were in pain, flooded families continued to suffer without relief. “Children of flood victims are still sleeping hungry under the open sky,” he said.
Despite the suffering, he added that both parties insisted on being awarded for their performance. “On behalf of PTI, I assign them a trophy for insensitivity, incompetence and greed,” he said.
With reference to the extent of destruction in Punjab, the senator revealed that 5,700 villages remain immersed, crops have been destroyed and livestock has died. “Farmers live in uncertainty, while 18 million people are severely affected,” he said, adding that 22,000 square kilometers of land had been affected.
He also noted that 60% of the rice crop and 30% of the cotton crop had been wiped out, forcing the country to import almost $ 3 billion to meet demand. “Look at the situation – and yet these leaders go out of the house in arrogance,” he concluded.
PML-N, PPP meet to repair RIFT
PML-N reached out to PPP in an attempt to draft tensions after the latter protest and walkout from the Senate and the National Assembly earlier in the day.
A meeting at the delegation level between the two parties began in the speaker’s chamber in the House of Parliament. The PPP delegation was led by former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and senior party leader Ejaz Jakhrani, while Vice President Ghulam Mustafa Shah was also present.
Representing PML-N was the speaker for the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah and Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry. Sources said the PML-N team would inform PPP of the latest developments and try to tackle the complaints the party is traveling.
In a speech with journalists before the meeting, Ashraf confirmed that PML-N had reached conversations. “Yes, PML-N has contacted us, and we are now heading for the meeting,” he said.
