Punjab PA speaker, governor dismiss reports of differences

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Governor Sardar Saleem Haider have dismissed reports of differences between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) over power sharing in the province.

Ahmad said the alliance between the two parties was aimed at national development, security and public welfare. He reaffirmed that the coalition would continue in the best interests of the country.

The remarks were made during an Iftar dinner hosted by industrialists Ahmad Dawood and Imran Dawood in honour of Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari on his election as secretary general of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ). The event was attended by prominent political, business and social figures, along with senior government officials.

Saleem and Ahmad shared a meal together, emphasizing their unity. “Our arrival in the same vehicle for this Iftar is a symbol of the PPP-PMLN alliance,” they stated. The governor clarified that the PPP was not engaged in negotiations for administrative appointments but was pursuing a broader vision. “The performance of the chief minister is not for me to judge; it is for the people to decide,” he added.

Among the attendees at the dinner were Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, MNA Malik Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar, Punjab IGP Dr Usman Anwar, Punjab Assembly Secretary Aamir Habib and the secretary Information.