PTI believes PDM alliance 'practically dead'

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance is "practically dead" as he took a cue from the differences emerging among the coalition partners.

The PTI leader was speaking to media persons outside an Islamabad court where he had come to attend a case hearing.

The two major coalition parties in the PDM — Pakistan People Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) — are at odds over multiple issues, mainly on the allocation of funds for the flood victims.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — in an election rally in Swat — asked the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to provide more funds else the party would not approve the budget.

Reacting to this, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said everything was decided in the National Economic Council and the cabinet where the PPP members were present.

A meeting is also scheduled today with the prime minister in the chair to address PPP's concerns.

Today, while speaking to media persons in the federal capital, Qureshi said he had earlier said that the PDM alliance's disintegration has started.

"Bilawal Bhutto expressed concerns in Swat yesterday. What Bilawal is saying about Sindh is true."

He also asked why there was no debate on the matter in the cabinet meeting.

The PTI vice chairman also took notice of PML-N's Talal Chaudhry, who had taken a jibe at PPP over the party's alleged involvement in rigging in Azad Jammu Kashmir.

"Today, the ministers are raising objections on the AJK election," Qureshi said and asked the PML-N why the party voted for PPP in Karachi's mayoral election and not recorded its protest.

"Practically, the PDM's alliance has ended and only a formal announcement is due," he said.

The PTI leader also criticised the Foreign Office for "keeping mum" on the Greece boat tragedy.