- The day we withdraw support, the federal govt will collapse,” Marri warns
- Emphasizes country be governed according to constitutional and legal principles
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) spokesperson Shazia Marri on Sunday lambasted the federal government for “repeatedly making unilateral decisions”, including the establishment of the Pakistan Maritime and Seaport Authority, warning the government will collapse if the party withdraws its support.
In a statement, PPP leader Shazia Marri reacted strongly to the Maritime and Shipping Port Authority decision, saying the federal government is consistently making decisions without consulting PPP, including the establishment of the Pakistan Maritime and Shipping Port Authority (PMSPA).
“While we have said it again and again that the federal government has PPP’s support, the day we withdraw that support, the federal government will collapse,” Marri warned, adding, “Perhaps, the PML-N does not realise this.”
She added that the PPP was not taken into confidence regarding the decision to establish the Pakistan Maritime and Seaport Authority.
“Both the Sindh government and the Pakistan People’s Party were kept in the dark regarding the decision to establish the authority,” she stated.
She stated that both the Sindh government and PPP were kept in the dark about the establishment of the authority. “As long as PPP continues to support the federal government, it will remain in power, but once that support ends, the government will cease to exist”, she warned.
Marri further pointed out that the PPP had been demanding the convening of the National Interest Council meeting for a long time, yet it has not been called in eleven months.
The PPP spokesperson said that the ongoing violation of the constitution by the Prime Minister, who is legally bound to convene the Council of Common Interests every three months, is alarming.
Marri demanded that the matter of the establishment of the Maritime and Shipping Port Authority be brought to the Council of Common Interests, emphasizing that decisions on key national issues should not be made without consulting the allies and provinces. She further stated that the federal government’s actions are incomprehensible and could lead to deeper divisions.
She urged that the country be governed according to constitutional and legal principles, with consultations with allies and provinces before making decisions on maritime issues and port authority recommendations.
Earlier, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider had said the alliance with the PML-N had damaged the PPP in the country’s political powerhouse, Punjab. However, he predicts that now it is the PML-N’s turn to bear the brunt of this alliance.
Haider, who belongs to the PPP, took the oath of office after a power sharing deal struck between the PPP and the ruling PML-N in the wake of the February 8 general elections.
According to the agreement, the PPP chose the constitutional positions of the president, governorship of two provinces Punjab and KP and Senate chairmanship in return for propping up the PML-N led coalition government in the Centre.
The PPP and the PML-N, arch rivals prior to the emergence of the PTI, had a long history of turf war in the country’s most populous province which the PML-N had snatched from the PPP.
There is a general impression that the anti-PML-N voter in Punjab is disillusioned with the PPP after it came closer to the PML-N and later started voting for the PTI.