Bilawal to meet PM Shehbaz today amid concerns about budget - Pakistan Observer

Source: Pakistan Observer
Author: Fida Hussain

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is set to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today to express the party's concerns regarding the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.

This meeting coincides with the National Assembly's resumption of the budget session on Thursday (today) after a seven-day Eid break.

Last week, the PPP had announced a boycott of the budget session, a decision they reversed after Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held several meetings with the party's top leaders to address their concerns.

Now, the PPP criticized the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government for acting independently and not consulting them on the budget.

The support of the PPP is crucial for the ruling coalition, as the government led by PM Shehbaz does not have a parliamentary majority necessary to pass the budget smoothly.

The sources said that a delegation led by Bilawal would meet the Prime Minister to discuss their concerns about the political situation in Punjab and the issue of unreleased financial shares for Sindh.

PPP Secretary Information Shazia Marri confirmed the meeting, saying that "The government reached out for the meeting and Bilawal will present the PPP's genuine concerns to PM Shehbaz,"..

Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal was tasked to reach out to Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and Qamar Zaman Kaira to resolve the issues.

Last week, the reports suggested that the Prime Minister decided to expand the federal cabinet and invited the PPP to formally join the government, a proposal that Bilawal's party declined.

The stance was recently reaffirmed by PPP leader and provincial minister Nasir Hussain Shah.