ISLAMABAD: As differences between the PML-N and the PPP continue to affect ties between the two main partners in the ruling coalition, PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla has claimed that directives issued by the Presidency were not being heeded by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Speaking to DawnNewsTV, the PPP leader asked: “If a directive is sent by the president of Pakistan […] and it’s not implemented, then what will [even] happen at lower levels?”

President Asif Ali Zardari, he maintained, was not happy with the situation.

Although the PPP has been quite vocal about its misgivings with the PML-N and threatened to quit the coalition on a number of occasions, the two parties have so far managed to settle issues through high-level contacts.

In response to a query, the PM’s Coordinator Rana Ihsaan Afzal told Dawn the prime minister takes the instructions coming from the President’s office very seriously. However, he said he was not privy to the background of Mr Mandviwalla’s claims.

Mandviwalla says Zardari unhappy with the situation; leaders from all provinces want party to exit coalition

When approached for comment, the president’s Press Secretary Akhtar Munir also said he was not aware what issue Mr Mandviwalla was referring to.

Executive body meeting

The PML-N’s failure to honour its commitments has been a recurring complaint at meetings of the PPP Central Executive Committee, and a recent meeting in Islamabad was also told that the government did not take it on board in its decision-making, and had backtracked on promises made to the party.

“If you are not implementing the things you agreed to, the coalition will break one day,” Mr Mandviwalla warned, adding that he could “sense” during the CEC meeting that the alliance would not sustain if the situation did not change.

According to the PPP senator, “In the CEC meeting, people were very unhappy with the PML-N. Even the Punjab [representatives] were very unhappy with the Punjab government. The general recommendation from [leaders of] all provinces was that we should not remain their ally anymore.”

Senator Mandviwalla added that in his view, the PPP leadership would now convey to the PML-N that it should “either find a solution or we part ways”. Responding to a question about whether the PPP would continue negotiating with the PML-N on their differences, the lawmaker said, “We do not believe in stopping negotiations.”

When asked about the committee formed by the premier to allay the PPP’s concerns, the senator acknowledged efforts made by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to find solutions to the issues between the two allies. He said Senator Dar was the “only one making efforts to bring the parties to a table, adding that no one else in the government realised the gravity of the situation.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2025