The latest reports say that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over a meeting today in order to address the concerns raised by the PPP.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-June 19th, 2023) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved an allocation of Rs25 billion in aid for flood victims in response to the concerns raised by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a crucial ally of the government, a local private tv reported while quoting the sources.
The approved amount, expected to be included in the debt-driven budget, will be utilized for the rehabilitation of the flood victims.
To address the concerns raised by the PPP, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over a meeting today (Monday). The meeting will include the Foreign Minister, relevant ministers, and financial experts from both parties.
During a recent meeting with PPP leaders, the Prime Minister pledged to set aside this amount. The PPP delegation included senior politicians such as Syed Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Syed Khurshid Shah, Qamar uz Zaman Kaira, Syed Murad Ali Shah, and Nisar Khuro.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, it was mentioned that the PPP leadership expressed their appreciation for the Prime Minister's efforts towards public welfare in the budget, despite the challenging economic conditions.
However, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticized his coalition partners and demanded the allocation of funds for flood victims. He stated that his party would not support the government's budget, which is scheduled to be passed this month unless the amount was provided. Bilawal, who is also the Foreign Minister, voiced his concerns during a rally held in Swat on Saturday, expressing his dissatisfaction with the unfulfilled promises in the budget.
In response to the Foreign Minister's statement, Ahsan Iqbal, the Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, suggested discussing the matter within the cabinet and avoiding any new conflicts. In an interview with a news outlet, he highlighted that the coalition partners were consulted at every stage of the Federal budget's preparation and its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting. He also mentioned that the 2023-24 federal budget was presented in the National Assembly with the consent of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
