Pakistan Peoples Party staged a dramatic walkout in the National Assembly on Tuesday and expressed disappointment and anger over the recent comments of Punjab Minister Maryam Nawaz, who had said, “Our water, our channels, our choices”.
PPP MNA SYED NAVEED QAMAR criticized sharply Maryam’s recent speeches, especially her comments about wandering rights.
He questioned the statement and said, “What does it even mean? The water belongs to the river Indus – it belongs to the whole of Pakistan. Such speeches are disappointing.” In protest, PPP members left the house. “We are spotted to support this government, but we have not paid any fee to stay on the Treasury benches – we can also sit in the opposition,” Qamar added.
Maryam had previously said, “What is it about you if we from our own water and our own money we will irritate our own country in the Cholistan Desert?” – A remark that further induced voltages with PPP.
In response, federal law minister Azam Tarar tried to neglect the situation and call it a “pure disagreement in the family” and insisted it was part of a healthy democratic process. He apologized on behalf of Punjab CM and repeated that Walkout did not reflect any deep rift within the ruling coalition. He maintained that the alliance with PPP will remain intact.
Read: Maryam Stokes PPP IRE Over Cholistan Canal Plan
However, signs of load within the coalition are becoming more and more visible. Conflicts between the two parties have grown – especially over the sidelines of Benazir Income Support Program (Bisp) in flood efforts, a step that PPP sees as an attempt to marginalize one of its most important inheritance.
PPP staged a walkout from parliament and expressed concern that the government is not considering its proposals seriously for relief and rehabilitation of flooded people.
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also expressed his dissatisfaction with Maryam’s dismissive remarks about Bisp and called them inappropriate and unacceptable.
When Punjab -Culture Minister Azma Bukhari was asked by Express Pakinomist Whether the Punjab government actually planned to revive the shrinking cholistan -channel project, she replied tense, “Let’s see.”
Despite Tarar’s insurance policies, the ongoing friction – from channel policy to bisp criticism – the coalition is more broken than united.
