President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday urgently called Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Karachi amid growing political tension between the Sindh and Punjab governments. The rift between the PPP and PML-N, coalition partners in the Centre, intensified after the PPP staged a walkout from both the National Assembly and the Senate, protesting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks over water and flood compensation issues.
According to a post from the Presidency on X, President Zardari and Minister Naqvi held a telephonic conversation discussing the ongoing row. Zardari later summoned Naqvi to Karachi for an emergency meeting to defuse the political crisis brewing between the two provinces.
The dispute initially began over flood relief funds but soon widened to include water rights related to the Cholistan canals project, which Sindh opposed. The project jointly launched by CM Maryam Nawaz and COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir was later shelved after protests and rejection by the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
PPP’s outrage stemmed from Maryam Nawaz’s comments telling Sindh’s leadership to “mind its own business,” prompting the party to boycott parliamentary sessions. The PPP also accused the Punjab government of showing arrogance and ignoring Sindh’s constitutional water share.
Efforts to mend ties have so far failed. Although PPP and PML-N leaders met in Islamabad to ease tensions, the situation worsened after Maryam Nawaz refused to apologise, asserting she had nothing to regret. In response, PPP leaders questioned her political legitimacy, calling her government a “product of Form 47.”
Political reactions and verbal clashes
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon alleged that Punjab was using his party as a scapegoat to attack the federal government. Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari defended her province, claiming Punjab had always played the “big brother” role during natural disasters. She accused PPP leaders of politicising the floods and running a “planted campaign” against CM Maryam.
PTI’s response
Adding fuel to the fire, PTI Senator Ali Zafar mocked the situation as a “historic contest” between coalition allies, saying both parties were competing over press conferences instead of public service. He alleged that both governments failed to deliver genuine relief to flood victims.
In the National Assembly, PTI MNA Asad Qaiser welcomed the PPP’s protest, suggesting they move a vote of no-confidence if they were truly dissatisfied. PPP’s Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, however, said his party could not continue in the House without clear assurances, leading the PPP to walk out of the session.
Efforts to cool tensions
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Nawaz Sharif over the weekend to discuss the coalition’s growing rift and sought his help in easing hostilities.
Later, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro responded to PTI’s offer of support, saying “reliability matters more than statements,” and questioned whether PTI’s stance had the backing of its exiled leader.
The ongoing clash has exposed deep fractures within the ruling coalition, threatening the fragile political alliance between the PPP and PML-N. The upcoming meeting between Zardari and Naqvi in Karachi is expected to be a crucial attempt to defuse the crisis before it escalates further.
