Hawks among provincial mainstream leadership of both Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan Peoples Party are resisting the recently-agreed power-sharing formula between the two sides in Punjab government, said sources.
"Rigid quarters on both sides are still not ready to accept any such coalition between ideologically two opposite parties and they are advising wrongfully to their respective leadership," said the sources, adding: "There are yet many a slip between cup and the lip before the power sharing formula is materialised in true letter and spirit."
It may be noted that PPP's senior Minister Riaz Ahmed announced in Punjab assembly on Friday that power-sharing formula with the PML-N was finalised with 13 provincial portfolios against 22 of the PML-N to be implemented after Eid-ul-Azha.
The PPP is already holding five ministries in provincial cabinet. However, reports regarding the Punjab Governor's latest initiative of writing two more letters to the Punjab Chief Minister, expressing his dissatisfaction over the way the government is being run in province, has again raised many eyebrows among many circles regarding continuity of coalition in Punjab.
Both letters stressed the point that the provincial government was not working in accordance with the Constitution, as the provincial cabinet had not been completed for over last eight months, new parliamentary secretary not appointed and cabinet meetings had not been convened for months.
Also, the Governor has drawn the attention of the chief minister to the locking up of courts by the lawyers, asking him why no action was taken in this regard. The provincial hierarchy of PPP is of the view that the Governor was definitely "consulting" the relevant quarters before any such initiative.
However, they clarified in similar breath that the Governor was consulting no one at the provincial level as all inspiration is coming to him from the centre. Admitting that the top leadership of the PPP and the PML-N is seriously following the coalition principles, the party's provincial leadership prefers to remain tight-lipped in alleged unprecedented meddling of the Governor in the provincial government affairs.
Provincial chief of the party Rana Aftab Ahmed told reporters on Monday that though constitutionally the Governor had a right to take up his concerns with the provincial government. "I still believe that it is not appropriate."
It is also worth noting that PPP's senior minister in Punjab Raja Riaz Ahmed had also expressed his wonders over the development. When it was pointed out to him that the Governor might also start writing letters to the Punjab PPP leadership in case no serious notice was taken of his letters to the PML-N, Raja Riaz opined.
He said: "No one can be courageous enough to write letter to any Jiyala and seek explanation of any kind." Earlier, former Secretary General of Punjab PPP Ghulam Abbas had also criticised the Governor indirectly by stating that anyone not in favour of continuity of coalition was enemy of democracy in the country.
It is also worth noting that the appointment of some PPP stalwarts on key positions in the PPP is already a source of "resentment" and "dissatisfaction" for the party loyalists, both in centre and Punjab. According to them, importance, given to many "aliens" in the party, is perturbing the party workers, serving the party since decades.
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