President Zardari Summons Interior Minister Naqvi Amid Growing Punjab-Sindh Tensions
October 6, 2025 | Updated 1 minute ago
President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a crucial discussion on Monday over the escalating tensions between the Punjab and Sindh governments, as political disagreements between coalition partners continued to deepen.
According to an official statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), the president and the interior minister spoke over the phone to review the ongoing situation.
“President Asif Ali Zardari spoke to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to discuss the recent tensions between the Sindh and Punjab governments. The president has called the interior minister to Karachi for an urgent meeting,” the post stated.
Coalition Rift Deepens Over Flood Relief and Water Rights
The growing discord between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — both coalition partners at the federal level — has intensified in recent days. The dispute began over flood compensation and has since expanded to disagreements over water rights linked to the Cholistan Canals Project.
The PPP, which governs Sindh, took exception to remarks made by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, urging her to “rethink her tone” regarding interprovincial water sharing. CM Maryam, however, stood firm, saying she would not apologise to the PPP, which in turn accused her government of lacking a genuine mandate.
Efforts Underway to Ease Political Tensions
Last week, PPP lawmakers boycotted parliamentary proceedings in protest. Subsequent meetings between senior leaders of both parties in Islamabad aimed to de-escalate the situation, but with limited success.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Saturday to discuss the growing rift and sought his intervention to help restore calm.
The controversy over the six-canal project — launched jointly by CM Maryam Nawaz and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir — has been a major flashpoint. The project was later shelved after objections from Sindh and was not approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
Sindh’s Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon further alleged that the Punjab government was using his party’s name as a “cover” to target the federal government.
With the political temperature rising, President Zardari’s initiative to bring Interior Minister Naqvi to Karachi signals an attempt at defusing interprovincial tensions before they spiral further.
