PM Shehbaz likely to meet Bilawal Bhutto soon amid budget rift

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is likely to meet PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari following the latter’s criticism for not taking its input at all while preparing the annual budget 2024-25, ARY News reported on Sunday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the prime minister held a telephonic conversation with former foreign minister on auspicious occasion of Eidul Adha.

PM Shehbaz also invited Bilawal to a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House after Eid, which the latter accepted.

The meeting between PM Shehbaz and Bilawal is expected to focus on resolving outstanding issues between the two parties, sources revealed.

Earlier, it was reported that the PML-N-led federal government has intensified efforts to placate Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) amid budget rift.

The previous round of talks between the government and the People’s Party ended without a breakthrough, sources added. PPP has decided not to back down from its demands, including the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) issue.

The PPP has vowed to continue protesting until its concerns are addressed, sources said, noting that the absence of Bilawal Bhutto and Aseefa Bhutto from the budget session is a clear message.

Finance Minister Aurangzeb presented the Rs18.877 trillion relief-oriented federal budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.

The budget session started with a nearly two-hour delay after the PPP voiced reservations on the development allocations.

Read More: PPP not briefed over federal budget, says Nafisa Shah

The Bilawal Bhutto-led party earlier decided not to attend the Pakistan Budget 2024 session in National Assembly, but the PML-N managed to placate them.

Later, the PPP lawmakers attended the session to complete the required quorum without party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Earlier, Khurshid Shah said the party had reservations with regard to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) budget and that the PPP should have been taken into confidence for the budget.

“It was decided that the PSDP for the four provinces would be decided together,” he said while speaking to the media.