- Party convenes CEC meeting to mark Karsaz anniversary; reiterates call for BISP-led flood relief
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Saturday said it was giving its coalition partner, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), more time to meet its key demands after weeks of friction between the two allies over flood relief efforts and governance issues in Punjab.
The announcement came following a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), held on the 18th anniversary of the 2007 Karsaz bombing that killed more than 180 people during former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming procession.
Although both parties are partners at the federal level, the PPP does not hold any portfolios in the cabinet. Tensions first surfaced last month after devastating monsoon rains inundated several parts of Punjab and other provinces. The PPP had urged the government to use the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to deliver emergency assistance to flood-affected families—a proposal resisted by the Punjab administration.
The disagreement soon widened as PPP leaders accused the Punjab government of politicising relief work and sidelining the federal mechanism for aid distribution. Several PML-N ministers responded sharply, with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah calling for an overhaul of BISP, saying its current structure was “outdated and unfit.”
In the following weeks, the technical disagreement evolved into a political confrontation, with both sides trading accusations. Earlier in October, the PPP staged walkouts from Senate and National Assembly sessions to protest remarks from PML-N leaders over the controversial Cholistan canal project and criticism of the Sindh government.
Addressing a press conference after the CEC meeting, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman said the chairman had reiterated that BISP must be used to disburse flood relief funds transparently and swiftly.
“سانحہ کارساز میں جس طرح جیالوں نے ڈھال بن کر اپنی جانوں کا نذرانہ پیش کیا اور قائدین کی حفاظت کی وہ ہم پر قرض ہے، جس کو ہم کبھی فراموش نہیں کرسکتے، جبکہ سیلاب متاثرین کو اس وقت امداد کی اشد ضرورت ہے جس حوالے سے ہم نے ان کو نا صرف ریلیف پہنچانے کا مطالبہ کیا ہے بلکہ گلگت سے پنچاب… pic.twitter.com/7PN2GJ71cN
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) October 18, 2025
“The world recognizes BISP and knows that those affected by flooding need immediate assistance at their doorstep,” she said. “If their doorstep has been washed away, then aid can be transferred directly into their accounts.”
Rehman urged the federal government to “learn from the 2022 response” and release the first tranche of relief funds without delay.
PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan said the party had decided to grant the government additional time to act on its commitments, including the use of BISP for flood aid, reform of Punjab’s local government elections, and measures to address soaring energy prices and crop imports.
“There are some promises that the prime minister himself made during our last meeting,” Chan noted. “He said these are the people’s issues and requested more time. Today, the CEC decided to accommodate that request—but our demands still stand.”
He added that the situation would be reviewed in the party’s next CEC session, expected in a few months.
On Thursday, PPP leaders met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who assured them that the federal government would involve the party in all decisions related to flood relief and farmer assistance.
“The prime minister agreed to utilise BISP for helping flood victims and accepted all of our demands as justified and logical,” Chan told Dawn following the meeting.
