Zardari Summons Naqvi as PML-N–PPP Rift Widens Over Flood Relief Dispute

KARACHI: Amid escalating tensions between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), President Asif Ali Zardari held a telephonic conversation with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to discuss the growing rift between the Sindh and Punjab governments.

A statement from the Presidency said Zardari summoned Naqvi to Karachi for an urgent meeting following their discussion. “President Asif Ali Zardari spoke to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi over the phone to discuss the recent tensions between the Sindh and Punjab governments,” read a post on X. “The President has called the Interior Minister to Karachi for an urgent meeting in this regard.”

The move comes as leaders from both ruling coalition partners intensify their criticism of each other over the federal government’s handling of flood rehabilitation efforts.

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon accused the Punjab government of targeting the prime minister under the guise of criticising the Sindh administration. He alleged that attempts were being made to force the PPP to withdraw its support for the federal government.

Responding to the remarks, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari questioned whether the PPP minister was “playing politics over the flood victims in Punjab,” asking if the prime minister had directed him to do so.

The dispute intensified last week after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticised the federal government, saying relief efforts for flood victims should not be made a matter of ego. He urged authorities to channel aid through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and seek international assistance.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz rejected the criticism, saying she did not need anyone’s permission to serve the people. “BISP is not the only solution for everything, and the practice of begging must come to an end,” she said, adding that Punjab had undertaken major development projects without seeking validation.

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The war of words soon spilled into parliament. During a National Assembly session on September 30, the PPP staged a walkout to protest Maryam Nawaz’s remarks. PPP leader Naveed Qamar said the party did not seek ministries but demanded respect, warning that it could move to the opposition benches if hostilities continued.

On Monday, PPP lawmakers staged walkouts from both the Senate and National Assembly sessions, demanding an apology from the PML-N leadership for statements made against its top figures.

Despite earlier commitments by leaders of both parties to resolve issues through dialogue, the latest developments indicate that tensions within the ruling coalition are far from subsiding.