- Decision taken during OPP’s CEC meeting.
- Sherry Rehman appeals for relief to the victims through BISP.
- No compromise with seeking help for the poor, says senator.
KARACHI: Senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman said on Saturday that the party has decided to give the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led federal government more time to fulfill its commitments.
The party convened its Central Executive Committee (CEC) to meet today amid tensions with coalition partner PML-N over issues such as flood relief, water resources and governance.
Speaking to reporters after the CEC meeting, Rehman said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari informed the party leaders about the promises made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during their previous meeting.
“We have decided to give [federal] the government and the prime minister more time,” she said. “We will meet again after a month to review how many of their promises have been fulfilled. The OPP will then decide its course of action based on this review.”
The PPP leader emphasized that her party played a significant role in the formation of the federal government and key legislation. “We thought our voice would be heard in the coalition.”
Rehman reiterated his party’s position that the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) was an important tool to provide initial relief in the event of a natural disaster.
The PPP leader urged that the program be used for flood relief rather than being a platform to “shoot political slogans at each other.”
The BISP became one of the points of contention between the PPP and the PML-N after the floods when several Sindh ministers suggested using it to help flood-affected people.
However, the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, rejected the proposals, saying the province had its own resources to deal with floods.
Terming BISP as a globally recognized programme, the PPP leader called for its use to help people in the flood-affected areas.
Rehman also discussed the devastation caused by the recent floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sindh.
She said the PPP has called for immediate flood relief and has already provided assistance to several flood-affected areas.
“The people of Pakistan are our asset. Everyone has the right to speak for themselves. There will be no compromise in asking for relief to the poor,” Rehman said.
The PPP leader said her party appreciated the federal government for supporting the PPP chairman’s recommendation to provide emergency relief for electricity bill flooding.
The senator also praised the Pakistani armed forces for giving a befitting response to India after it launched illegal strikes in Pakistan in May.
Rehman said the CEC meeting hailed Bilawal for launching “a diplomatic offensive” following Pakistan’s response to India’s aggression.
