ISLAMABAD The PPP, which is already at war with the PML-N over how to manage the nation, objected on Sunday to the federal government’s creation of the Pakistan Maritime and Seaport Authority, reminding the Shehbaz-led administration of its vital role in maintaining the government.
A recent meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reestablish confidence appears to have failed to end the long-simmering problems between the two parties.
These disputes were brought back into the public eye on Sunday when PPP leader Shazia Marri criticized the PML-N-led government for not consulting the PPP on important decisions, such as the creation of the Pakistan Maritime and Seaport Authority. “The government’s survival depends on the support of the PPP,” she stated.
“Even though we have repeatedly stated that the PPP supports the federal government, the day we remove that support, the federal government will fall apart,” she cautioned, adding, “Perhaps the PML-N is unaware of this.”
She asserted that the decision to create the authority was not communicated to the Pakistan People’s Party or the Sindh government.
According to Ms. Marri, her party has also been calling for the Council of Common Interests (CCI), which hasn’t met in eleven months, to meet. She stated that the prime minister was “constitutionally bound to convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interests within three months” and that “the Constitution is being constantly and openly violated.”
She rhetorically questioned whether it was “wise to sabotage the Constitution on important national issues, without taking allies and provinces into confidence.” She stated that the Council of Common Interests should be consulted on the view and matter of the establishment of the Maritime and Seaport Authority.
The spokeswoman for the PPP described the Center’s strategy as “beyond understandable” and said it would only deepen the divide between the two allies. It would be “better for everyone” if the nation was governed according to constitutional and legal principles, she continued, emphasizing that the opinions of friends and provinces should come before the task force’s recommendations on the maritime sector, maritime affairs, and KPT ideas.
The PPP leadership, including Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, was consulted about the PMSA formation, according to Qaisar Ahmed Sheikh, the minister of maritime affairs.
The minister stated, “I have already discussed the matter with Murad Ali Shah, and two PPP leaders, Mehreen Bhutto and Asad Niazi, spent a whole day with me on Saturday, and we discussed the issue.”
A task team of all stakeholders has been established for the PMSA, he added, adding, “I live in Karachi and will keep PPP leadership and the Sindh government updated on the issue.”
Senior PPP officials have expressed a “lack of confidence” in the federal government, escalating tensions between the federal government and its ally.
The relationship has become even more tense as a result of issues like internet restrictions, which PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has criticized as an attempt at censorship.
Though the PPP chairman has called for ongoing interaction with the PML-N administration, the growing animosity is also reflected in the demonstrations by PPP legislators in parliament, including a walkout over the absence of federal ministers.
Despite the two parties’ disagreements, analysts think that the existence of a shared enemy, Imran Khan, will force them to work together to preserve the current situation, with the support of the establishment, which is essential to keeping this improbable alliance intact.
