• Marri, Shah and Jhakrani meet premier, brief him on canals project, power sharing issues in Punjab
• Insiders say CM Maryam not open to input on postings, transfers; unlikely to relent on ally’s demands

LAHORE / KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promised to do his best to resolve the PPP’s reservations over the Cholistan canals project, as well as the party’s misgivings over ‘power sharing’ in Punjab, which were conveyed to him by a PPP delegation that met him over the weekend.

PPP leader Shazia Marri, accompanied by senior parliamentarians Syed Khursheed Shah and Aijaz Jakhrani, gave a briefing to the prime minister on the pros and cons of the canals project that will see water drawn from the Indus, a source privy to the development told Dawn. It has caused great consternation among the people of Sindh.

But despite describing their discussion as being a “pleasant meeting held in a cordial environment”, PPP leaders said they had subtly reminded PM Shehbaz of unmet promises and raised concerns over how their party was being side-lined in key decisions.

The PPP delegation was also irked by the “cold shoulder” treatment continuously meted out to them by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, sources said.

The meeting, held at National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s residence, came as political figures gathered to congratulate National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah on his son’s wedding.

“It was not a tense discussion,” Ms Marri — a PPP spokesperson — told Dawn.

“The atmosphere was very pleasant, as we were all there to share in the happiness of our parliamentary and party colleague. However, we did raise a few points with the prime minister, and he listened patiently. Unfortunately, despite previous complaints and assurances, progress has been slow. Still, this recent meeting has renewed our hopes. We presented our concerns, and the prime minister listened attentively.”

She specifically highlighted the party’s concerns and objections regarding the six new Indus canals, saying that instead of addressing the coalition partner’s points, PPP’s sentiments were dismissed with “harsh statements” from the PML-N side.

This was a reference to Ahsan Iqbal, who had dismissed the PPP’s concerns last month as being “a baseless debate”.

“On one hand, we are not being heard, and on the other, senior members of your party make harsh remarks, calling our reservations a baseless debate. This has deeply hurt the party’s sentiments,” she added.

Though PM Shehbaz promised to resolve the power-sharing dispute, many within the PML-N doubt that he would be able to convince his niece to accommodate the PPP any more than she already has.

Under their broader power-sharing formula, the PPP was given constitutional offices such as the president, Senate chairman, National Assembly deputy speaker, and the governorships of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They were also promised input in the appointment of commissioners, deputy commissioners and district police officers of their choice in south Punjab constituencies where they had won some seats in the February 2024 elections.

The PPP’s attempts to give input on issues such as appointment of officers in districts politically dominated by the party have been met with indifference by the Maryam Nawaz administration in Punjab.

A member of the Punjab cabinet told Dawn that the chief minister did not even take her own cabinet members on board when deciding postings and transfers of top officials, “what to speak of accepting [PPP’s] opinion on the appointments of district officials.

“Maryam Bibi is relying only on a couple of top bureaucrats” when it comes to taking decisions regarding postings and transfers of higher officers, the cabinet member said, adding that there did not appear to be much room to accommodate the opinion of a coalition partner in this process.

Disturbed by this attitude, the PPP has been complaining — publicly and privately — about CM Maryam’s attitude, most notably through Punjab Governor Saleem Haider and other provincial leaders.

When asked about the PPP’s threats of withdrawing support for the Shehbaz Sharif government, a senior PML-N leader confidently said that the party only had ‘Hobson’s choice’ before them, i.e. to back the incumbent government. “[They] know too well that their stakes will be further reduced, even in Sindh, in case elections are called afresh.”

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2025