LAHORE: The PPP has openly expressed its concerns over a lack of consultation by the Punjab government on critical issues, such as the budget and the recently-promulgated defamation law.

Though the PPP is not formally part of a coalition government in the province since the PML-N enjoys a simple majority, it has supported the ruling party in the assembly during the legislative business.

PPP Central Punjab general secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza referred to this agreement on Monday when he said that his party didn’t vote for the PML-N “to prepare the budget in the kitchen”.

“You did not take PPP into confidence while preparing the budget proposals,” he said, addressing Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif at a press conference.

He claimed that this would be the first budget where the government didn’t take its allies and stakeholders into confidence.

No relief plan has been announced so far for the salaried class and pensioners in the budget, said the PPP leader.

He added that “PPP had high expectations” from CM Maryam that she would take the province forward as per the vision of her father, Nawaz Sharif.

However, he regretted that farmers, who form the country’s backbone, were suffering because of the Punjab government’s policies.

The provincial agriculture department “could not formulate a comprehensive policy” to procure wheat before the sowing started, and the indecision left the growers in a lurch after they toiled hard and reaped a bumper crop. Mr Murtaza asked if the government would compensate the farmers for its delayed decision not to procure wheat this season.

Referring to the Punjab Defamation Act 2024, the PPP leader said his party stood with journalists.

“The party is not in favour of restricting the freedom of expression. We’ll try to get the law withdrawn because we cannot become part of any anti-media law.” He announced that his party would go to court against the law and the move, and the PPP high command would make a decision in this regard.