The government has managed to pacify the members of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), according to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

After a meeting with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, Dar told reporters that the government will soon share good news with the nation.

“We are working for the betterment of Pakistan,” Dar said, adding that “we are together for the improvement of the country.”

The finance minister’s remarks come after the PPP lawmakers arrived in the National Assembly, signaling an end to the party’s boycott of the budget session.

Senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar were seen accompanying Dar as they entered the assembly chamber.

The development is seen as a breakthrough in the government’s efforts to ensure a smooth budget session, despite the opposition’s earlier reservations about the budget-making process.

Earlier, the Pakistan Peoples Party has decided not to take part in the budget session as the Sindh-ruling party claims the federal government did not fulfil its demands.

“We will not attend today’s [National Assembly] session,” PPP leader Shazia Marri told reporters after the party’s parliamentary meeting.

It was the party’s second meeting after Tuesday when they warned the Centre of withdrawing its support from the government if budget proposals were not accepted.

“We want the government to fulfil its promises,” Marri said and added that her party was not in Parliament only to fill the quorum.

But she clarified that the PPP was supporting the government. According to the PPP leader, there were issues in all four provinces.

PPP’s senior leader Khursheed Shah also spoke on the same wavelength, saying that the confidence of all four provinces has not been gained on the budget proposals.

Shah said that it was promised that the budget proposals would be shared with all the provinces to gain their confidence, but that did not happen.

“The government is claiming that they have provided a briefing, but there is a difference between giving a briefing and taking input on the proposals,” he stated.

The senior opposition leader’s remarks come as the government is set to present the federal budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 in the National Assembly on Wednesday (today). The opposition has already threatened to disrupt the budget session, citing concerns over the lack of consultation with the provinces.

More to follow…