At the start of a National Assembly session chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, tensions flared as members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf staged a protest inside the house.
PTI lawmakers raised slogans during the opening proceedings, drawing attention and briefly disrupting the session. PTI members of the assembly expressed their dissent by holding placards, making their stance visible from within the parliamentary chamber.
The protest underscored ongoing political friction within the house as proceedings continued amid raised voices and symbolic demonstrations.
On the other hand, moments before the budget session was scheduled to begin, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition partner of the ruling PML-N, clarified that its Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, would not attend the sitting. However, the party strongly denied reports circulating on several television channels that it had decided to boycott the session.
The PPP stated that while its chairman would be absent, some party members would still participate in the proceedings, reaffirming that it would remain engaged in the budget process in the national interest. This position was shared by the party in a post on X, which was later deleted.
During today’s National Assembly session, PPP lawmakers, including Shazia Marri, staged a protest ahead of the budget presentation, pressing the government to ensure Sindh receives its rightful share of water.
A placard held by Shazia Marri read that Sindh is currently facing a 48 per cent water shortage. The protesting members briefly gathered around the Speaker’s dais before returning to their seats.
During the demonstration, PPP lawmakers also raised slogans, including “Give us water to drink and live,” highlighting their concerns over water distribution and shortages in the province.
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