Federal govt will collapse if PPP withdraws support: Marri

ISLAMABAD: Expressing serious reservations to the federal government for continuously ignoring the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the key coalition partner, in consultation process and not taking into confidence on key decision making process, the PPP on Sunday warned the PMLN that it should realize that the federal government has its support and the day this support was withdrawn, the federal government would also collapse.

The warning statement by the PPP Spokesperson Shazia Marri, while giving the party’s strong reaction on the federal government decision with regard to the establishment of Maritime and Seaport Authority, said that the federal government was continuously making decisions without taking the PPP into confidence. She said both the Sindh government and PPP were kept unaware of the decision to establish the authority.

“The PPP is repeatedly reminding that the federal government has the support of party and the day this support is withdrawn, the federal government will also be dissolved. Perhaps the PMLN does not realize this,” Shazia Marri warned.

Shazia Marri said the PPP has also been demanding for quite some time that a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) be convened but 11-months have passed and the meeting of the CCI has not been convened yet. The PPP spokesperson said the Constitution was being constantly and openly violated as the prime minister was constitutionally bound to convene a meeting of the CCI within three months.

She demanded that the matter of establishment of Maritime and Sea Port Authority should be brought to the CCI. Shazia Marri questioned if it was wise to sabotage the Constitution on important national issues, without taking allies and provinces into confidence.

The PPP spokesperson said the federal government’s approach was beyond understanding and this approach will only widen the gap. “If the country is run on constitutional and legal principles, it will be better for everyone,” she said. Shazia Marri was of the view that the opinion of allies and provinces should be taken before the recommendations of the task force on the maritime sector, maritime affairs and KPT proposals.

It should be noted that earlier in November last year, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had expressed annoyance at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif government for breaking promises, avoiding consultation and refusing to coordinate. The PPP had expressed reservations over the PPP’s representation in the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) and lack of equal opportunities for political activities in Punjab. Two rounds of talks were held between the two parties last month.

The first meeting held on December 9 to resolve the growing differences between the PMLN and its ally, the PPP, was inconclusive and no statement was issued in this regard by either party. The meeting reviewed the reservations regarding the PPP’s representation in the JCP and lack of equal opportunities for political activities of the party under the PMLN in Punjab. According to PPP sources, the party expressed its annoyance over the PMLN’s failure to take its allies along while making important policy decisions.

The PPP, while expressing concern over the hasty legislation in parliament, had clearly said that if PMLN needs its cooperation, they will have to give importance to their allies and change their attitude. According to sources, the PPP leaders had also expressed concern over the proposed construction of six canals on the Indus River in Cholistan region of Punjab, saying that the project would completely devastate the lands of Sindh.

Later, in a meeting held in the last week of December, the two parties reached a consensus on various issues related to power sharing in Punjab, with the PMLN assuring the coalition party of removing its reservations with regard to the province.