• 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.
