Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz fires fresh salvo at PPP, warns rivals

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has intensified political conflict with her coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Speaking at the inauguration of a cardiac transplant center, Nawaz accused the PPP of corruption and warned political opponents against criticizing her government's performance.

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One party (PPP) is involved in corruption and the other (PTI) in anarchy. I would like to ask them to follow in the footsteps of the PML-N to serve the people.

Her remarks signal a hardening stance within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) towards the PPP. The PPP has recently increased its criticism of the federal and Punjab governments, questioning their political mandate and alleging electoral irregularities. This exchange exposes growing strains within the ruling alliance, with PPP leaders referring to the PML-N governments as products of a "Form-47 mandate," while PML-N leaders question the PPP's governance record.

Nawaz's cabinet members, including Information Minister Azma Bokhari, have also engaged in verbal sparring with the PPP. Bokhari accused the PPP of being unable to "digest" Punjab's development pace under Nawaz's administration. The PPP, however, maintains that the PML-N lacks the moral authority to question its governance, with Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon calling the PML-N's mandate "fake."

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Those who are envious of Punjab’s progress and prosperity may continue to criticise, but the journey of public service will not stop.

The PPP's criticism mirrors allegations by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) that election results were manipulated. Despite continued political cooperation at the federal level, the increasingly sharp rhetoric suggests that the parties' political interests, especially in Punjab and Sindh, are becoming difficult to reconcile.

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The public knows who came to power through Form-47 and who enjoys the real mandate. The PML-N has been pursuing politics marked by arrogance, intolerance and provocative rhetoric.