PML-N, PPP meeting today to iron out differences on budget

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party will hold talks to iron out their differences on budget at the PM Secretariat later today, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Monday.

Sources said that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah would participate in the meeting via video link.

Sherry Rehman, Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar will represent the PPP.

On the other hand, the PML-N side will be represented by Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Dar hopes issue to be resolved

Earlier, talking at the floor of the National Assembly, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that $16.3 billion were required for the reconstruction of houses destroyed in floods that swamped Pakistan last year. He said out of this amount, $11 billion would be given to Sindh and that would be enough for the province.

Dar said that both the PPP and PML-N were meeting today and they would resolve the issue in the meeting.

Addressing a public rally in the Khwazakhela area of Swat on Saturday, Foreign Minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hinted that his party would not vote for the budget unless their concerns were addressed.

He claimed that the budget presented in parliament had very little input from the PPP, especially on the issues of climate change and rehabilitation of those affected by floods, for which sufficient funds were not allocated.

Bilawal claimed that when the world pledged aid, the federal government said it would match that amount. The federal government also promised provinces to match the amount spent on rehabilitation and reconstruction.

“I don’t doubt the intentions of the prime minister, but I would like to request him to hold those people to account who are not fulfilling the promises he made.”

“If PML-N wants PPP to vote on the budget without funds for flood-affected people, this will not happen,” he warned.

A day later, PML-N leader and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday cautioned his allies to discuss government decisions in the cabinet instead of criticising them in political rallies.