President Asif Ali Zardari has stepped in to ease the growing tensions between the Sindh and Punjab governments and has summoned Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Karachi for an urgent meeting.
According to sources at the Presidency, President Zardari held a telephonic conversation with the interior minister to discuss the escalating political rift between the two provincial administrations. The President reportedly directed Naqvi to visit Karachi immediately to help resolve the matter through dialogue and coordination.
The move comes amid a series of heated exchanges between leaders from both provinces over the past several days. The tensions intensified after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz made remarks that drew strong criticism from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). PPP lawmakers staged a walkout from the National Assembly, demanding an apology from the Punjab Chief Minister.
Maryam Nawaz, however, stood firm, stating that she would not apologize for defending Punjab. “If anyone speaks against my province, I will respond as its Chief Minister. It is my duty to protect the people of Punjab,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon challenged Punjab’s Information Minister Uzma Bukhari to a public debate, which Bukhari accepted. Responding sharply, she said, “Tell me about 17 major projects completed during your 17 years in power in Sindh. Come to Lahore, and I will show you development in Bahawalpur, Multan, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, and Dera Ghazi Khan. Then take me to Kashmore, Nawabshah, and Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to see what you have achieved.”
President Zardari’s intervention signals an attempt to de-escalate the political confrontation between the two powerful provinces and bring focus back to cooperation and governance.
