No ‘conclusive decision’ made in Dubai meetings, says PPP

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) clarified on Wednesday that no “final decision” had been reached in the meetings held between the leadership of the ruling coalition parties — PPP and PML-N — in Dubai.

The statement from PPP leader and Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri comes days after it was reported that the meetings between PML-N and PPP bigwigs in Dubai had reportedly resulted in a consensus on a number of issues, including names for the caretaker set-up and a power-sharing formula if the two parties win the next election.

The top leaders from both parties, including PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, met more than once last week to deliberate upon the next general election’s date, among other things.

The meetings were also attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N senior vice president Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, had reported.

After the meetings, Zardari, PM Shehbaz and the law minister returned to Pakistan while Bilawal left for Tokyo. Nawaz, who arrived from London, is likely to stay in the UAE for one more week to hold political and business meetings.

“All the news about reaching agreements during the meetings and subsequent differences are mere speculations,” Marri said during a show.

She noted that no conclusive matters had been finalised in the Dubai meetings thus far.

PML-N has been giving mixed signals about whether polls would be held in October or not, but PPP has categorically stated it wants elections at stipulated time, according to Dawn report.

A PML-N insider had told Dawn that the main agenda of the Sharif-Zardari meeting was elections in October or beyond. “If the elections are held at their scheduled time, then the caretaker set-up in the centre will of the PPP and PML-N’s choosing after taking Maulana Fazlur Rehman on board, of course.

The senior party leader said both leaders also discussed the overall economic challenges facing Pakistan as well as the IMF deal.

‘PPP strongly opposes Senate chairman perks bill’

Marri also commented on the Chairman Senate (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Bill 2023, expressing the PPP leadership’s dissatisfaction with it.

The proposals — past by the Senate last month — immediately came under fire for proposing such a move at a time when the economy is struggling. The National Assembly has to give its nod for it to go to the president and be signed into law.

The draft law envisioned the provision of a full security detail of at least ten personnel to former chairmen, provision of their family members as well as domestic staff travel sponsored by the government.

Marri said that the “PPP believes that the country’s economic challenges do not justify granting such perks to the Senate chairman”. She stated that the party had asked for clarification from members who had signed the bill.

According to her, there were individuals who claimed that the bill was passed hastily and that the members were unaware of its contents. Nevertheless, the party has taken a firm stance and disagrees with the bill.

She emphasised that the PPP would vehemently reject the bill if it were to be presented in the National Assembly, stating that it went beyond “acceptable limits”.