Karachi [Pakistan], August 14 : Tensions within Pakistan's ruling coalition surfaced on Wednesday as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari publicly criticised Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for failing to deliver on development promises in Karachi, accusing him of applying a double standard between the provinces of Punjab and Sindh, Geo News reported, citing The News.
According to Geo News, Bilawal was speaking at the inauguration of the new Hub Canal near Karachi, where he mocked Shehbaz's widely touted "Shehbaz speed", known for rapid development in Lahore, while saying that Karachi had instead been subjected to "Shehbaz slow".
The PPP chairman's remarks have exposed a friction within the coalition government, where his party remains a key but increasingly critical ally of Shehbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
While the PML-N recently secured a simple majority in Pakistan's National Assembly after a Supreme Court ruling on reserved seats, PPP leaders have suggested that their cooperation should not be taken for granted, Geo News reported.
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Adviser to the PM Rana Sanaullah have both insisted the coalition remains intact, but Bilawal's latest criticism points to widening cracks.
At the Hub Canal ceremony, Bilawal announced that the new canal would bring an additional 100 million gallons per day (mgd) of water to Karachi, a lifeline for the Central, East, and Kimari districts.
He added that a separate plan had been prepared to boost water supply to Lyari and that repair work on the old Hub Canal was underway, Geo News reported.
Highlighting PPP's governance at the municipal level, Bilawal claimed that for the first time, local governments in Karachi and Hyderabad are focused on service delivery rather than stoking ethnic and political division. He also praised the cooperation between provincial and city administrations, Geo News reported.
The PPP chief further applauded Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah's efforts to install a desalination plant in Karachi.