Rana Sanaullah, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Public and Political Affairs, voiced strong concerns about the Benazir Income Support Programme’s data, though without being specific about the issues.
“The PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) is supporting the government, though it may have its own point of view,” said Sanaullah, speaking to a private news channel.
Sanaullah also addressed his party’s ongoing spat with the PPP, the Pakistan Muslime League-Nawaz (PML-N) coalition partners in the centre, over the utilisation of water resources.
Referring to CM Maryam Nawaz’s statement on the canals project, Sanaullah said there should be no objection to Punjab diverting its own share of water anywhere within the province
“CM Maryam spoke about Punjab’s share, not about any other province’s,” he added.
His remarks come as PML-N and the PPP are engaged in a war of words over flood relief, BISP, and the utilisation of water resources.
Earlier today, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira reiterated his party’s stance that BISP was a “tried and tested” method for providing flood relief.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Kaira said that BISP has long been used to provide initial relief in case of any natural disaster.
“The IMF [International Monetary Fund] cut subsidies in all fields. BISP was the sole programme which received a Rs2 billion boost,” he added.
While he reiterated that the PPP would continue to support the federal government, Kaira said that his party would not give support to “everything that the PML-N does”.
Without mentioning CM Maryam, the PPP leader said that their allies do not listen when his party gives its suggestion.
“If we criticise, you get furious and say fingers have been raised towards Punjab. You say that if a finger is raised, you will break it,” he added.
“You are not just the chief minister of Punjab — you are Nawaz Sharif’s daughter. Anything you say reflects the words of PML-N.”
Conflict between the allies emerged after the PPP demanded that Punjab’s flood-affected affectees be assisted through the BISP.
However, the Punjab government rejected the demand, saying that it was utilising its own resources to help the affectees in the province.
