In an effort to appease concerns from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally in the government, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sanctioned Rs25 billion in aid to support flood victims.
It is anticipated that this allocation, to be included in the debt-driven budget, will be used to rehabilitate those affected by the floods.
During a discussion with the party’s leadership last week, the Prime Minister pledged this funding. High-ranking politicians, including Syed Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Syed Khurshid Shah, Qamar uz Zaman Kaira, Syed Murad Ali Shah, and Nisar Khuro, represented the PPP delegation.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office revealed that the PPP leadership commended the Prime Minister for prioritizing public welfare measures in the budget despite challenging economic conditions.
However, the next day, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticized his coalition partners and demanded funds be allocated for flood victims; otherwise, his party would withhold support for the government’s budget due for passage this month.
In response to the Foreign Minister’s comments, the Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, suggested addressing the issue in the cabinet instead of sparking new disputes.
The Minister clarified that the coalition partners were involved at every stage of the federal budget’s preparation and approval during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.
The Minister further confirmed that the 2023-24 federal budget was presented to the National Assembly with the endorsement of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and that all coalition partners unanimously agreed on providing relief and rehabilitation to flood victims.
, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved Rs25 billion in aid for flood victims. Read more about the political developments.){kind=link}