Punjab C.M. Hamza Shehbaz and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari meet in Lahore.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Punjab Muslim League (Nawaz) on Tuesday agreed to jointly contest by-elections for 20 seats in the Punjab Assembly, which are scheduled to take place on July 17.
The agreement was reached after a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House in Lahore. According to a press release issued by the chief minister, the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, the prevailing political situation and the working relationship between the PPP and PMLN. It said that the former president had congratulated Hamza on being elected the chief minister of Punjab, adding that the two parties had agreed to jointly contest the by-elections for the seats vacated after 20 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers were de-seated by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for voting against party discipline.
The chief minister stressed that cooperation between all stakeholders was essential for serving the people, adding that the two parties’ alliance was for public service. “The PPP is our ally and we will work together,” he said. “Consultations will continue to further improve the working relationship,” he added.
Hamza was accompanied for the meeting by Attaullah Tarar, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Ali, Khawaja Salman Rafique, and Imran Goraya, while Zardari was joined by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sharjeel Memon, Dr. Asim Hussain, Syed Ali Haider Gilani and Syed Hassan Murtaza.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, Zardari and Hamza had also discussed the matter of provincial ministries for PPP lawmakers. They said that it was expected that the PPP would receive 5 ministries and 2 advisories, adding that the Punjab cabinet would likely be expanded within this week and ministries allotted to the relevant lawmakers. While neither the PPP, nor the PMLN, have formally acknowledged any “differences” over allocation of ministries, there have been multiple reports of the PPP being displeased with the PMLN’s desire to retain all important ministries for itself.
In an interview with daily Express Tribune, Gilani said that, as the meeting was attended by two provincial chief ministers, issues of water distribution and border security issues were also discussed. He claimed that the water distribution would be resolved “very soon,” adding that water scarcity was a concern of all stakeholders.