akistan Peoples Party appears to be more interested in constitutional positions than executive offices. It wants its members to head standing committees in the National Assembly and the Senate. Cabinet positions in the federal and Punjab governments are still not a priority.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq chaired a meeting with chief whips of the parliamentary groups in the National Assembly on April 26. The opposition and treasury leaders agreed that each parliamentary group should get chairmanship of standing committees in the National Assembly according to their numerical strength. The speaker wanted to implement the decision; however, leaders of the Sunni Ittehad Council aka Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf sought more time for consultation.

According to the early consensus, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz would get chairmanship of 13 standing committees, the PPP and the SIC eight each, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan two and the Istehkam-i-Pakistan and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid one each.

On the other hand, the PPP could similarly get chairmanship of 11 standing committees of the Senate. However, in a recent meeting with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Murad Ali Shah, Sherry Rehman and Naveed Qamar, besides discussing other issues, asked for a larger share of standing committee chairs in both houses.

The federal budget is due in a couple of weeks. Standing committees have a pivotal role in reviewing and vetting the budgetary proposals. The standing committees in the National Assembly and the Senate have not been as active as they can be because of the issue of the chairmanships. The MQM-P too wants three chairmanships, not two.

Informed parliamentary sources tell The News on Sunday the PPP wants 12 chairmanships in the Senate and 10 in the National Assembly. It is arguing that it should be treated as an equal partner on account of its support for the PML-N in the government formation. It does not want a federal ministry.

“Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is looking into the issue. He is also compiling a list of potential chairpersons in consultation with Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.”

Talking to The News on Sunday, PPP leader Sherry Rehman said: “The PPP has not asked for an undue share.” She said she believed that the chairmen of the standing committees should be appointed as soon as possible.

The PPP wants leaderships of 12 standing committees of the Senate and 10 in the National Assembly. It is arguing that it should be treated as an equal partner on account of its support to the government and not asking for a federal ministry.

Recently, there were reports that the PPP might join the federal cabinet. However, the PPP has not announced such a decision so far.

A few weeks ago, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly Ali Haider Gilani had indicated that the PPP might soon get portfolios in the federal and the Punjab cabinets. However, there has been no concrete progress in that direction.

After the 2024 elections, the PPP and the PML-N devised a power-sharing formula under which the PPP got offices of the president, the Senate chairman and Balochistan chief minister. More recently, the PPP has gotten governorships in the Punjab and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that give it a foothold in the two provinces.

Soon after the February elections, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had announced that the PPP would support the PML-N bid to form the government. However, he had also said that it would not join the federal cabinet. He had said he wanted the PML-N to formulate and implement policies without any pressure from within the coalition.

PPP insiders say that some legislators want executive offices and ministries in the federal and Punjab government. However, they say, the top leaders think otherwise.

Talking to The News on Sunday, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said: “The party had decided soon after the elections that it would seek constitutional offices and stay out of the executive positions. Now, we are asking our partners for our due share in the standing committees. There is nothing wrong with that constitutionally nor morally.

“Our Central Executive Committee did not approve the idea of joining the federal and the Punjab cabinets. I cannot say anything about the future. If the CEC decides otherwise in the next meeting, the party might act accordingly.”

Seeking anonymity, another PPP leader said: “The PPP is a partner with the PML-N. One or two chairmanships of the standing committees should not be a big issue for the PML-N after two parties have voted together on the election of president, prime minister, National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman.”

The writer is a senior journalist, teacher of journalism, writer and analyst. His X handle: @BukhariMubasher