ISLAMABAD: Tensions in the government coalition over the federal budget appeared to have eased after the PPP agreed to participate in the ongoing budget debate in the National Assembly after a crucial meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
According to sources, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had reservations on various points of the federal budget and for this reason he did not participate in the initial budget debate. The PPP leadership maintained that the government did not take the coalition party into confidence on some important issues related to the budget, while some of the proposals were not those that were discussed during the pre-budget consultations.
According to political circles, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself contacted Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and invited him to a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House. The meeting discussed in detail the federal budget, ongoing development projects in Sindh, cooperation between the federation and the provinces and the political situation in the country.
Sources say that the Prime Minister assured the removal of the PPP’s reservations, after which Bilawal Bhutto Zardari agreed to participate in the budget debate in the National Assembly. However, according to close sources, the PPP chairman is still not satisfied with some issues, and he will openly express these concerns during his speech in the National Assembly.
On the other hand, government sources claim that most of the differences between the two sides have been resolved in the meeting, and there is no possibility of any major crisis in the government coalition. This development has come at a time when the discussion on the federal budget 2026-27 is going on in the National Assembly, and PPP members are participating in the discussion, criticising various aspects of the budget.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders agreed that close cooperation between the federation and the provinces is indispensable for national development and economic stability. The meeting also reviewed the progress of ongoing federal development projects in Sindh.
On this occasion, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari thanked the prime minister for his cooperation in the government formation process in Gilgit-Baltistan, while the two leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts.
According to political observers, this meeting could prove crucial for the consolidation of the government coalition. Although the PPP has not given any indication of separating from the government or withdrawing support, its criticism of the budget indicates that consultation and trust-building will continue to play an important role in coalition politics.
