After days of a heated word war, it seems to be a thaw in the strained relationship between Pakistani Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached out to PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
According to the PPP media cell, both leaders discussed the current political situation, the ongoing flood crisis and issues related to foreign policy.
پاکاital پیپلزپا each other
چیئرمین }لاinary ھٹ زرداری اcribe زیراظ quals شہاز شریف کے درital جج ی ب CE It ی چی ح ح ح ح ح ح omm@Bbhuttozardari @Cmshehbaz
– PPP (@mediacellppp) October 9, 2025
The development follows a meeting in Nawabshah between President Asif Ali Zardari and a government delegation consisting of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the National Assembly’s speeches Ayaz Sadiq. It was aimed at facilitating tension between the two parties after growing friction between the leaders of Sindh and the Punjab governments.
Tensions had escalated to such an extent that PPP staged Walkouts from the Senate and National Assembly Sessions and even the party suggested sitting on opposition benches in the Punjab assembly. PPP Central leader Sherry Rehman even warned that the government could lose its majority in the Senate without the party’s support.
Despite the discrepancy, President Zardari maintained a conciliatory tone that called for calm and dialogue. He also contacted Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and asked him to communicate between the Allies to help mitigate the crisis.
In the midst of heated exchanges, the most important political figures from both sides, including Punjab -Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Punjab -Information Minister Azma Bokhari, PPP leader Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Sindh senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab joined Daer with other local leaders.
Interestingly, the verbal spate between the coalition partners started over the use of the Benazir income support program to provide support to the flooded affected people in Punjab.
PPP has long advocated the proposal that Bisp would be the most appropriate way to support the flood victims; However, the Punjab government is reluctant to the idea. The provincial government insists that the government’s flooding efforts are well done.
First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari warned that it would be “unfair not to use” Bisp, who, according to her, was the “most effective way” to distribute help.
Her comments came a day after Bokhari revealed that the provincial government would issue “relief cards” to the flood victims in their personal names from his own resources instead of using Bisp to help them.
Aseefa wrote on X that recent floods in Punjab affected more than four million people, stressing that Bisp would be the most effective and fastest way for the distribution of help.
However, Bokhari strongly criticized PPP for pulling the bisp into the floods. “Nobody wants to abolish Bisp. The question is: Why do you want to use it during floods?” Bokhari mentioned. “To pull it repeatedly into flooding policy is exactly what we call politicization.”
She accused PPP of ignoring the interests of the Punjab people and resorting to flooding policy. She defended the Punjab government’s performance during the floods and said that even Bilawal had praised Maryam.
With question the role of PPP in Punjab, the provincial Minister of Information said, “When will you, while living in Punjab, ever fight for Punjab’s case? Do you want Punjab’s people to be deprived of wheat, flour and bread?”
She added: “If you were able to do something, you wouldn’t sit at home and tell us where the flood should strike or where the dam should violate. Such decisions are made by governments according to situation and circumstances.”
