PPP decides to vote for budget as ‘differences resolved’

KARACHI: The differences among the ruling coalition have apparently ‘resolved’ as Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to vote for Budget 2023-23 and barred leaders from giving statements against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), ARY News reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the PPP has decided to vote for Budget 2023-24 in National Assembly after the differences with PML-N were resolved.

Sources claimed that the federal government has approved additional Rs30 billion for Sindh, which according to the latter will be used for restoration of flood-affected houses and infrastructure.

A day earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif assured Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah of allocating Rs25 billion funds for the flood victims in the budget 2023-24.

Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah held a one-on-one meeting with PM Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. Sources said the chief minister raised the matter of special allocations for the flood affectees in the federal budget 2023-24.

He apprised PM Sharif that the Sindh government allocated Rs25 billion funds for the flood victims and the federal government should also allocate Rs25 billion for the rehabilitation of the flood affectees. CM Shah also demanded the premier for special allocations for the flood victims from global aid.

READ: Differences ‘intensify’ among PPP, PML-N

The premier assured CM Shah of allocating Rs25 billion allocations for flood affectees in the federal budget. After meeting the premier, CM Shah departed for Karachi from Islamabad.

Bilawal concerned over ‘non-allocation of funds’ for flood victims

Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticised the incumbent government for ‘not allocating funds’ for flood victims in Budget 2023-24, regretting that the ministers were not fulfilling their promises.

Addressing a public gathering in Swat, the PPP chairman noted that no funds were allocated for the rehabilitation of flood victims in the budget 2023-24.

“We have sent our high-level delegation to PM Shehbaz Sharif to raise concerns that PPP has very little input in the budget,” he said, adding: “I was surprised when I saw that no funds were allocated for rehabilitation of flood victims.”

“I have no doubt on prime minister’s intention, but his team is not fulfilling the promises and the premier should hold them answerable,” he remarked.

The PPP chairman added that his party would not vote for this budget if the government did not allocate funds for flood reconstruction.