Islamabad:
In what seemed to be a high-level intervention to draft political tensions between Sindh and the Punjab governments, President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday convened federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for Karachi for urgent consultations, Express News reported.
The move came as a war war between the Pakistani Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which controls Punjab, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which rules Sindh, escalated further and wasted into both parliamentary houses.
Both the Senate and the National Assembly Sessions on Monday felt the heat from the ongoing series over the distribution of assistance among flood victims as the PPP legislators staged walkout to protest “inappropriate” comments against party leadership.
According to Express News, Interior Minister Naqvi flew into Karachi in the evening. Accompanied by Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, he later met Sindh Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar to offer condolences about his mother’s death.
Cited official sources said Express News that President Zardari had a telephone conversation with Naqvi and discussed the growing disagreement between the two provincial administrations. The president reportedly instructed Naqvi to reach Karachi immediately.
The disagreement between the two provincial governments stems from relief operations for flooded people, with both Sindh and Punjab criticized each other over the handling of help distribution.
The Sindh government has insisted that flood relief should be channeled through Benazir Income Support Program (Bisp), while the Punjab government, led by chief minister Maryam Nawaz, has refused to adopt the bisp mechanism.
As a result, ministers from both provinces have kept back-to-back press conferences and acted sharp words over the question. But on Monday, the War War moved across the media and went into both parliamentary houses.
PPP parliamentary leader Sherry Rehman raised the question in the Senate and criticized the Punjab Chief Minister’s recent statements. She warned that the political confrontation undermined the national entity at a time when millions suffered from flooding.
“Instead of strengthening people, we weaken them,” she said. “This war war affects the federal coalition,” she added as she condemned remarks about PPP President Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari.
Rehman, who sought an apology for the inappropriate comments, said that doing it would not lessen anyone’s dignity. After her speech, the PPP senators tore up the agenda of the day and went out of the session in protest.
In response to her remarks, Attorney General Azam Nazeer Tarar said that if anyone’s words had caused violation, it was regrettable. “President Zardari is a senior politician and wants to play a conciliatory role,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader Barristrister Ali Zafar joined the debate and criticized both provincial governments. “People die in floods while Sindh and Punjab leaders compete for photo sessions and press conferences,” he accused.
“Relief has not reached the victims – perhaps it has only reached their own pockets. This has become a competition for who can hold more press conferences,” he said, claiming that no matter what help was provided to the flood victims was “declining prey for corruption.”
Similar scenes also witnessed in the National Assembly. Senior PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf told Parliament that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had not said anything against the Punjab government, but that “irresponsible statements” came from the reigning party.
After his remarks, PPP legislators went out of the assembly in protest. PTI MNA Asad Qaiser then took the floor and urged PPP not to engage in “friendly fire”. He said, “Show some courage – join us in bringing a movement without confidence. Let’s not play a staged battle.”
