Bilawal joined NA budget session after PML-N's Gilgit-Baltistan assurances: sources

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended Friday's National Assembly budget session in Islamabad after Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured him that PML-N would respect his party's mandate to form the next government in Gilgit-Baltistan. Multiple senior PPP leaders told Nukta that the assurances came after hours of tension within the coalition.

Why did Bilawal Bhutto initially skip the budget session?

Bilawal had reservations after a closed-door PPP meeting where members criticized PML-N for a series of unilateral decisions. These included disputes over forming the Gilgit-Baltistan government, along with announcements on Pakistan-administered Kashmir's election date and the banning of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, all made without consulting the PPP.

Earlier in the day, PPP's official account on X said Bilawal would not attend personally, with only a party delegation taking part. The party said it would remain part of the budget process "in the national interest," stopping short of a formal boycott.

What is the PPP-PML-N dispute over Gilgit-Baltistan?

The central disagreement involves government formation in Gilgit-Baltistan after recent elections, where PPP secured around 11 seats, more than any other party. PPP leaders said this result gave them the mandate to form the regional government and criticized remarks by PML-N's Rana Sanaullah and chief ministerial candidate Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman as attempts to undermine that claim.

Sources told Nukta that PML-N was seeking both the governorship and the speaker's position in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly. PPP considers retaining the speakership non-negotiable, though it may concede the governorship as part of coalition talks, the sources said.

How was the PPP-PML-N standoff resolved?

Bilawal was also upset that he and his party leaders were not informed before the Kashmir election date was announced or before the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee was banned, a move that sparked violent protests and casualties. "There were serious reservations from the chairman on how these decisions were taken without consulting a coalition partner," one senior PPP leader told Nukta.

The tensions eased after Dar visited Bilawal's chamber, followed by Naqvi and PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry. They assured Bilawal that PML-N had acknowledged PPP's Gilgit-Baltistan election victory and would not interfere in forming the next government there, after which Bilawal agreed to attend the session and took his seat on the assembly floor.

A senior PML-N leader, speaking separately to Nukta, downplayed the disagreement. "We have already taken PPP into confidence and all matters will be resolved amicably," the leader said.

What else did PPP discuss ahead of the federal budget?

The PPP meeting also addressed the federal budget, with leaders signaling they could support provincial contributions toward defense spending. However, they said this should happen only after provinces receive their constitutionally guaranteed share under the National Finance Commission award.

Party leaders criticized the federal government's tax collection performance, arguing Islamabad should improve its own revenue generation before seeking more from the provinces. According to the sources, PPP leaders said the federal government was collecting taxes at an effective rate of 11%, compared with 22% in Sindh and nearly 30% in Punjab.