PMLN, PPP agree on continuing talks for power sharing in Punjab

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have agreed to hold further rounds of negotiations on power sharing in Punjab.

The decision was made during a meeting of the coordination committees of both parties at the Governor’s House on Saturday. Both sides committed to working together on public welfare projects and agreed to hold regular monthly meetings, with the next session scheduled for April 12.

The meeting also reviewed the development initiatives led by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The PMLN delegation was headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, while the PPP was represented by former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Ali Haider Gilani and Syed Hassan Murtaza. Other key attendees included Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Federal Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, and Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan. Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and IG Police Punjab Dr Usman Anwar were also present.

Separately, Speaker PA Malik Ahmed Khan met Governor Saleem Haider to discuss the PPP-PMLN power-sharing formula in the province. Provincial Minister Chaudhry Shafay Hussain and other officials also participated in the discussion.

Speaking at a joint media briefing after the meeting, Malik Ahmed Khan said the PMLN-PPP alliance was aimed at steering the country out of its current challenges. He stressed the need for both parties to move beyond their differences and adopt a broader federal approach to politics, with the PPP expanding its presence in Punjab and PMLN strengthening its footprint in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Governor Saleem Haider dismissed speculations about the PPP seeking bureaucratic appointments in Punjab, clarifying that the party’s focus remained on serving people. Meanwhile, Provincial Minister Chaudhry Shafay Hussain underscored the need for all political parties to collaborate on a national security strategy to combat terrorism effectively.