Secretary Information Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Shazia Marri and senior parliamentarians Syed Naveed Qamar gave a press briefing after the Parliamentary Party meeting chaired by the Chairman PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari also accompanied the Chairman.
Shazia Marri said that the members of the Parliamentary Party in the previous two meetings apprised the Chairman of the reservations they had regarding their constituencies. The PPP started engaging the government on those reservations. The Party leadership listened to the difficulties faced by the members who are responsible for their constituencies and conveyed the grievances of their people. In today’s meeting, senior PPP parliamentarian, Syed Naveed Qamar briefed the meeting on the PPP’s engagement with the government.
Addressing the press briefing, Syed Naveed Qamar said that during the government formation after the election, an agreement took place between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. The agreement entailed that the PPP would vote for the PML-N’s candidate for prime ministership. The agreement between these two parties comprised 25 points. While some of the points were implemented, there was ambiguity regarding others. The two parties held several rounds of negotiations attended by the prime minister and Ishaq Dar on some occasions. We had reservations on the PSDP.
In today’s Parliamentary Party meeting, it was decided to vote for the finance bill despite certain reservations, Naveed Qamar stated. If we do not vote for the budget, it would amount to dismantling the government and paving the way for instability in the country which the PPP does not want, Qamar said. The government now has numbers and this budget will go through.
Syed Naveed Qamar said that we are anticipating that the points raised by the Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the floor of the assembly will be accepted by the government. We will continue our discussion with the government.