Issues between PPP, PML-N to be resolved amicably, says Law Minister Tarar

Islamabad (Web Desk): Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar on Monday voiced hope that the current discord between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would soon be settled through mutual understanding.

Taking the floor in the Senate after Sherry Rehman’s address, Tarar remarked that “as the weather in Islamabad cools down, tempers are likely to do the same,” expressing confidence that relations between the two coalition partners would return to normal.

He cautioned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against taking pleasure in the temporary friction between the two allied parties, stressing that political disagreements were a natural feature of democratic systems, where peaceful protest was a legitimate means of expression.

The minister assured that water distribution among the provinces was being supervised by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) in line with established protocols.

He mentioned that President Asif Ali Zardari had already taken note of the situation, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and party leader Nawaz Sharif remained determined to promote reconciliation and unity within the coalition.

Discussing the recent floods, Tarar described them as a natural disaster, adding that climate change was a global problem affecting countries like Pakistan that had contributed little to its causes but faced its harshest impacts.

He noted that the Punjab government had allocated substantial funds to support people affected by flooding in areas around the province’s three main rivers.

Earlier, The crucial meeting between the government delegation and the PPP held in the National Assembly (NA) Speaker’s Chamber, concluded without any progress, leaving the ongoing deadlock between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP unresolved.

According to insider sources, the government team failed to persuade the PPP to return to the NA in full capacity.

The PPP maintained its decision to participate only symbolically and made it clear that its stance would remain unchanged until a meeting takes place between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

During the talks, the PML-N once again assured the PPP that unnecessary public statements from the government side would cease. However, PPP sources described these assurances as insufficient to address their concerns.

The PPP delegation was represented by former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Aijaz Jakhrani, and Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa, while the government side included Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah, and Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

Political rifts within the federal coalition widened as Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari criticised the lack of solidarity shown to Punjab during the recent floods, saying the province had always acted as a “big brother” in times of national crisis but was subjected to political point-scoring when it faced calamity. She quoted Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz as expressing disappointment over the treatment of Punjab and accused Sindh’s Sharjeel Memon of running a “planted campaign” against the CM, while challenging him to a public debate.

PPP Senator Quratulain Marri hit back, accusing Bokhari of harbouring a “phobia” of Sindh and warning that PML-N’s antagonistic tone could harm national unity. She maintained that the PPP was not politicising the flood crisis, insisting that demanding relief for Punjab was a legitimate concern.

Later, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman told the Senate that the ongoing verbal clashes between Punjab and Sindh were unsettling the coalition. She said the PPP had tried to preserve unity but was provoked when CM Maryam’s camp criticised Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s tenure as foreign minister. Rehman urged mutual respect and warned against taking the PPP’s support for granted before leading a walkout of her party’s senators.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar acknowledged the PPP’s right to protest and assured that steps were being taken to prevent political tensions from affecting parliament’s work. He reaffirmed that water distribution from the Indus River would continue under the Irsa agreement and called the situation a temporary “rise in temperatures.”

PTI Senator Ali Zafar mocked the coalition infighting, calling it a “historic contest” between allies over who performed better during the floods, claiming that both Punjab and Sindh had failed to deliver meaningful relief.

In the National Assembly, PTI’s Asad Qaiser welcomed the PPP’s “friendly fire,” suggesting that if the party was serious, it should move a no-confidence motion, while PPP’s Raja Pervaiz Ashraf led his party’s lawmakers out of the session in protest.