Pakistan Peoples Party staged a dramatic walkout in the National Assembly on Tuesday, expressing disappointment and anger over recent remarks by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who had said, “Our water, our canals, our choice”.
PPP MNA Syed Naveed Qamar sharply criticized Maryam’s recent speeches, particularly her comments about water rights.
He questioned the statement, saying, “What does that even mean? The water belongs to the River Indus – it belongs to all of Pakistan. Such speeches are disappointing”. In protest, PPP members exited the House. “We are being taunted for supporting this government, but we’ve paid no fee to remain on the treasury benches — we can also sit in the opposition,” Qamar added.
Maryam had earlier said, “What is it to you if, from our own water and our own money, we want to irrigate our own land in the Cholistan Desert?” — a remark that further fueled tensions with the PPP.
In response, Federal Law Minister Azam Tarar attempted to downplay the situation, calling it a “mere disagreement within the family” and insisted it was part of a healthy democratic process. He apologized on behalf of the Punjab CM and reiterated that the walkout did not reflect any deep rift within the ruling coalition. He maintained that the alliance with the PPP will remain intact.
Read: Maryam stokes PPP ire over Cholistan canal plan
However, signs of strain within the coalition are becoming increasingly visible. Conflicts between the two parties have grown — particularly over the sidelining of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in flood relief efforts, a move that PPP sees as an attempt to marginalise one of its key legacies.
PPP staged a walkout from the House, expressing concern that the government is not considering its suggestions seriously for the relief and rehabilitation of flood-affected people.
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also voiced his displeasure over Maryam’s dismissive remarks about BISP, calling them inappropriate and unacceptable.
When Punjab Culture Minister Azma Bukhari was asked by The Express Tribune whether the Punjab government was indeed planning to revive the shelved Cholistan canal project, she responded tersely: “Let’s see.”
Despite Tarar’s reassurances, the ongoing friction — from canal politics to BISP criticisms — suggests the coalition is more fractured than unified.