Islamabad/ Lahore, Sep 26: Tensions between Pakistan’s coalition partners, PML-N and PPP, surfaced publicly as the two parties clashed over flood relief distribution in Punjab, exposing strains beneath their façade of unity.
The disagreement centers on the most effective method to provide aid to victims of recent floods. While PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged using the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for quick and transparent relief, Maryam Nawaz, representing the PML-N-led Punjab government, rejected the suggestion, insisting on the province’s own relief card system. She argued that BISP’s PKR 10,000 aid per household is insufficient compared to Punjab’s plan of providing up to PKR 1 million per affected family.
Maryam Nawaz emphasised provincial autonomy, asserting, “The money belonging to the people of Punjab will be spent only on them,” and declined to appeal for international aid, stating, “No self-respecting person should beg for help.” She also advised Bilawal to focus on his own province and control his party’s statements in Sindh.
Bilawal, meanwhile, defended BISP as the most credible and internationally recognized system for immediate aid delivery. He criticised the federal government for sidelining the programme and urged the PML-N government to reconsider its stance, stressing that Punjab’s residents should not be caught in political disputes. Bilawal also welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s agricultural and climate emergency announcement and announced that Sindh would launch its own relief package using a Hari Card, potentially expandable with federal support.
Officials note that the public spat underscores the urgent need for coordinated flood relief efforts in South Punjab, where the destruction has been historic, and highlights the continuing debate over the most efficient aid mechanisms for disaster-hit populations.