The government is unlikely to reach an understanding with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership for a pause in their protest against Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, at least on budget day.
Sources said that high-ups of the Finance Ministry, under immense pressure to deliver a budget that not only meets the needs of an election year but also satisfies donors with respect to reforms, have requested the political leadership of the ruling party to reach some kind of understanding with PML-N leadership to ensure peaceful proceedings in the National Assembly on budget day, June 1, 2012. In return, they said that the federal government could offer a similar peaceful atmosphere to the PML-N provincial government on their budget day.
Insiders say that the rigid stance taken by the opposition party in the centre and in power in the biggest province has created difficulties for the ruling party in seeking an agreement. They said that softening of stance by the PML-N at this stage especially when general elections are just around the corner may be politically very damaging for the party. Thus an understanding for peaceful sailing on budget day seems unlikely however there is a possibility that PML-N may instead of vociferously opposing the budget during the Finance Minister's speech may launch a noisy protest followed by a walkout regarded as playing the role of friendly opposition by analysts.
With this in mind the ruling party has approached the PML-N's known dove, Ishaq Dar, and talks are ongoing between the two sides. So far talks have remained fruitless; however, an official said that the federal government is striving hard to reach an understanding with PML-N to push through their last budget peacefully. An official in the Finance Ministry said that a meeting of parliamentarians, presided over by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, was held on Wednesday to devise a budget strategy as well as discuss relief measures for masses in the next budget.
The meeting was informed that the Prime Minister has identified his government's priorities in the next budget including creation of 0.1 million jobs for youth, resolution of energy crisis and provision of relief to the masses as well as farm sector. An official said that the meeting discussed at length the government strategy on budget day in case an understanding was not reached with the major opposition party in the Parliament, PML-N.
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