PM 'approves' Rs25bn for flood victims after PPP's threat

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved Rs25 billion in aid for flood victims to address the reservations of a critical government ally, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), sources said Monday.

The allocated amount — expected to be added to the debt-driven budget — will be spent rehabilitating the flood victims, the sources mentioned.

The PM committed to set aside the amount during a meeting with the party's leaders last week.

Senior politicians Syed Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Syed Khurshid Shah, Qamar uz Zaman Kaira, Syed Murad Ali Shah, and Nisar Khuro were part of the PPP delegation.

A statement from the PM's Office mentioned that during the meeting, the PPP leadership appreciated the prime minister for measures for public welfare in the budget despite the difficult economic conditions.

But PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a day later, slammed his coalition partners and demanded amount be allocated for flood victims, or his party won't support the government's budget, which has to be passed this month.

In a rally held in Swat on Saturday, Bilawal — also the foreign minister — complained to the prime minister about not being able to fulfil his promises in the budget.

Reacting to the foreign minister's statement, Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Minister Ahsan Iqbal suggested discussing the matter in the cabinet and avoiding opening a new front.

When speaking to Geo News on Sunday, the minister said the coalition partners were consulted on every stage of preparation of the federal budget and its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.

He said that the 2023-24 federal budget was tabled in the National Assembly with the consent of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

To address the issues further, Premier Shehbaz will chair a meeting today (Monday) to address PPP's concerns.

The meeting will also be attended by FM as well as ministers and experts related to the financial affairs of both parties.

In conversation with Geo News, PPP's senior leader Nafisa Shah said the coalition partners had unanimously agreed that flood affectees would be provided relief and rehabilitated.

"Bilawal spoke about providing relief to the flood victims, who are, to date, still without homes," she lamented.