• Ali Haider Gilani accuses Sharifs’ party of reneging on written agreement, says Maryam not ready to own her leadership’s decisions
• Azma Bokhari says Punjab CM following merit-based policy, won’t allow anyone to influence administrative decisions
• Bad blood over power sharing in Punjab gives pause to some PPP leaders’ ambitions to join federal, Punjab cabinets

DESPITE several rounds of special committee meetings and proclamations of bonhomie from both sides, it seems that the ruling PML-N and its reluctant ally, the PPP, have yet to iron out all their differences.

Ali Haider Gilani, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, told Dawn that despite a written accord, the PML-N was trying to back out when it came to implementation of the agreement between the two parties.

It is no secret that Peoples Party has been seeking a greater role in governance in exchange for extending its support to the PML-N-led governments.

But Jati Umra’s reluctance to follow through on its promises has also given pause to aspirations within the wider PPP camp for greater power-sharing in Punjab and the Centre.

Under their written agreement, finalised after multiple rounds of meetings, the PML-N government in Punjab was supposed to take the PPP onboard for major administrative decisions and transfer-postings in two districts — Multan and Rahim Yar Khan — where the PPP has more lawmakers.

“A high powered committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar from PML-N side had assured the PPP leadership of implementation of the agreement in letter and spirit. We were even told that both PM Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif were in favour of implementing the agreement,” said Mr Gilani, who was also part of the team that negotiated on the PPP’s behalf.

At their last meeting in Islamabad, which was attended by Mr Dar, Punjab Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Saad Rafique from the PML-N side and Raja Pervez Ashraf, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Hasan Murtaza and Mr Gilani from the PPP side, it was also agreed that the Peoples Party would be given a due share in development schemes in the province and would also have a say in transfers and postings, especially in south Punjab constituencies.

Speaking after that meeting, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan had also confirmed that most demands of the PPP had been accepted.

But practically, Mr Gilani claimed, the PML-N seems to have has back-tracked. “Now, we will take up the matter with the PPP top leadership again,” he said.

Maryam ‘biggest hurdle’

According to party insiders, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is proving to be the main hurdle in the PPP getting what it wants, with some suggesting that her stonewalling tactics reflect ‘pre-planned tactics’ of the PML-N.

When asked if Ms Nawaz’s attitude was indeed a sticking point between the two sides, Mr Gilani told Dawn: “The CM should be bold enough to tell her party leadership that she is not ready to own their decisions”, especially in the context of south Punjab.

When asked to comment on this claim, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told Dawn that CM Maryam had been following a “merit-based policy” and would not brook any political interference in administrative matters, especially those involving postings and transfers.

When some 200 PML-N lawmakers do not get a say in postings and transfers, how can the PPP demand such a boon with its 10 MPAs in Punjab, she asked, rhetorically.

The chief minister is trying to end “safarish and corruption culture” and strictly following a merit-based policy, she said, adding that the PPP should cooperate with the government in this regard, instead of pressing for its so-called administrative share, Ms Bokhari concluded.

Prospects of joining govt

The PPP leadership has reportedly toyed with the idea of taking over certain ministries in the Centre and Punjab, but insiders say the matter has been deferred “till the appropriate time”.

Some party brains are of the view that since the economy seems to be on the ‘right track’ and inflation is slowly coming back under control, it would not be an unwise move to join the PML-N-led governments when the time is right.

Certain lawmakers have reportedly requested the leadership to join the Punjab government, believing that this would get the party “it’s due share” and not hurt their political interests, either, since the PML-N would remain the face of the regime and any blow back would be mostly borne by them.

Recently, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani has spoken his mind on the issue, saying that the party may consider joining hands with the PML-N in Punjab if they are “provided proper space.”

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also made similar overtures, but said that the final decision lay in the hands of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).

“If you are asking about the leadership’s decision, I can say with confidence that it’s a big no,” said a party insider privy to the CEC’s decision-making, who did not wish to be named.

But the source did not contradict reports of differences of opinion on the issue. “There are a number of lawmakers who wanted the party to join the federal cabinet. Apparently they want to become ministers themselves, or launch their family members into the cabinet. However, their opinions or wishes cannot overrule CEC decisions,” the party source said.

They added that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was very clear that the CEC had decided not to become part of the federal cabinet, and it would be the forum to reverse that decision, when the time came.

“There are three distinct groups in PPP when it comes to joining the government,” senior journalist and commentator Badar Alam told Dawn.

“The first group consists mostly of Sindhi MNAs. They believe the party should not join the government at all. The second group mostly consists of leaders from Punjab and Pakhtunkhwa, who think that joining the government is the only way to revive the party in those provinces. The third group includes many senior party members, who believe that business as usual is the best way forward, i.e. take the parliamentary and constitutional posts, but not the government posts.”

Which of these three groups eventually comes out on top, will depend on the points of view of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari his father, Asif Ali Zardari,“ Mr Alam concluded.

Imran Ayub in Karachi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2024