WEBDESK - NAYADAUR
Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have reopened formal dialogue after an 18-month hiatus, but their latest meeting produced little progress toward resolving tensions between the coalition partners.
A PML-N delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met PPP provincial leaders at Governor House Lahore, reviving the coordination committee mechanism established to address the PPP’s concerns in Punjab.
The previous meeting between the two committees was held in March 2025.
The two parties offered notably different accounts of the meeting. The PML-N described the discussions as positive and said relations between the coalition partners were moving in the right direction. PPP sources, however, said the talks were far from smooth and that the party remained dissatisfied with the pace at which previously agreed commitments had been implemented.
According to PPP sources who attended the meeting, the party made clear that it was not interested in receiving another update on the implementation of the so-called “due share” formula.
One PPP source said the PML-N could not simply return after nearly two years and present the implementation of individual demands as evidence of progress.
The PPP delegation instead raised broader concerns of the party leadership and urged the PML-N to focus on resolving those issues rather than highlighting what PPP leaders described as piecemeal progress on earlier agreements.
The PML-N's account presented a more positive picture. According to the party, both sides expressed satisfaction with the implementation of decisions reached during their previous meeting and reaffirmed their commitment to working together in the national interest.
The parties also agreed to improve communication, strengthen political coordination and maintain regular consultations on issues affecting the coalition government.
During the meeting, Dar reportedly told PPP leaders that the party's nominated representatives had been included in district development committees. PPP representatives responded that such measures did not address their broader concerns.
Among the issues raised by the PPP were allegations of rigging in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and concerns conveyed by the party's central leadership.
The meeting also became tense when Dar accused PPP leaders in Punjab of targeting the PML-N leadership.
PPP Punjab General Secretary Hasan Murtaza responded that the party had largely been reacting to the PML-N's positions, leading to a heated exchange among participants.
The differing accounts underscore the difficulties facing the coalition government as its two major political partners attempt to manage disagreements while remaining aligned at the federal level.
The revival of the coordination committee provides a formal channel for negotiations, but the latest meeting suggests that significant differences remain over the implementation of past agreements and the PPP's wider political concerns.
For now, both parties have agreed to continue consultations, leaving the mechanism open for further negotiations rather than resolving the underlying disputes in the latest round.