ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has denied holding any formal talks with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regarding a joint move to boycott the federal budget vote, distancing itself from recent political meetings involving its members.
Senator Ali Zafar, PTI’s parliamentary leader, clarified that a meeting held between PTI leader Asad Qaiser and PPP’s Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was not sanctioned by the party or its founder, Imran Khan.
He stated that Qaiser acted in a personal capacity and the party had not engaged in any official discussions or formed an alliance with PPP.
Zafar, during his appearance on a local TV program, reiterated that PTI remains firmly against the proposed budget, calling it anti-public and full of discrepancies.
He also confirmed that PTI will not participate in the voting process for the federal budget.
PTI Criticizes Budget, Rejects Alliance Speculation
According to Ali Zafar, although Qaiser reached out to the PPP, it was a conversation between two individual parliamentarians, not a formal dialogue between political parties.
He emphasized that PTI has already decided to reject the budget independently of any other party’s stance.
“If PPP also refuses to support the bill, the government will be forced to revisit and revise the budget,” Zafar said, but dismissed any speculation about coordinated efforts between the two opposition groups.
He also responded to PPP’s internal contradictions, pointing out that while some PPP lawmakers have raised serious concerns about the budget, the party’s position remains inconsistent.
PPP Expresses Discontent Over Budget Allocations
Meanwhile, PPP’s Shazia Marri acknowledged that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is engaging in discussions with PPP to address budget-related grievances.
She highlighted issues such as cuts to university funding in Sindh, imposition of taxes on solar panels, and lack of provincial autonomy over development projects.
Marri claimed that Rs4.8 billion originally allocated for universities in Sindh was slashed to Rs2.8 billion, further fueling party frustrations.
She urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to resolve these issues promptly, noting that continued neglect of Sindh could push the country in a dangerous direction.
Rejecting the possibility of collaborating with PTI, Marri stated that PPP believes in constructive reform, not political drama.
She reiterated that any decisions made will be based on public interest and policy reform, not partisan alliances.
