Pakistan coalition rift deepens over flood aid program

A political feud between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz erupted on Thursday as both leaders traded sharp words over flood relief efforts, with the former defending the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and the latter accusing the PPP of politicizing Punjab’s crisis.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Bilawal said that the BISP was the “sole method” of providing relief to those affected by recent floods in the country.

The PPP chairman recalled that the BISP was introduced by the PPP during a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

“All PML-N leaders had continuously praised this program. If they have now taken a ‘U-turn,’ they should be asked why,” he said, adding that most beneficiaries were in Punjab.

He noted that the program had been internationally recognized, with several countries following its model.

“Those criticizing it perhaps don’t know it well. BISP covers employment, education, and all aspects of social protection,” he added.

BISP is a national safety net program in Pakistan that provides cash assistance to poor and vulnerable families, particularly targeting women.

Bilawal’s statement came as a war of words between coalition partners PML-N and PPP escalated after Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari announced that the provincial government would issue relief cards in its own name instead of using BISP.

PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the first lady and a member of the National Assembly, criticized the move in a post on X, saying that BISP was the “most effective way” to distribute aid to flood-affected people, calling it “irresponsible not to utilize it.”

During the press conference, Bilawal also criticized the federal government for not seeking international help from the outset.

“When the floods began, the federal government should not have waited for any provincial help. It should have issued an international appeal immediately,” he said.

Punjab CM responds

Responding to PPP’s criticism, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz launched a scathing attack on the PPP, accusing it of doing politics on the issue of floods in Punjab, despite being an ally at the federal level.

Speaking at the inauguration of the electric bus project in Dera Ghazi Khan, she said distributing PKR 10,000 under BISP would not help flood victims rebuild their lives.

Maryam Nawaz expressed regret that the PPP, despite being a coalition partner, politicized the flood crisis in Punjab. She also criticized Bilawal’s suggestion that Pakistan should appeal internationally for aid, adding that she would not extend her hand before the world for money.

“How can a self-respecting person ask for such help?” she asked.

Without taking Bilawal’s name, she told him to “keep your advice to yourself,” stressing that Punjab was capable of handling matters independently.

Maryam also warned that pointing fingers at Punjab would not be tolerated. “If any finger is raised against the province, I will break it,” she said.

She also criticized the PPP government in Sindh, accusing it of neglecting the province.

“Everyone knows what the condition of Sindh is. Please focus on your own province,” she said.