PM Shehbaz and Bilawal discuss ways to reduce tensions within the coalition.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), spoke on the phone about the nation’s present political situation, foreign policy concerns, and flood relief efforts in an effort to defuse the increasing political temperature.

After days of tense public discussions between PPP officials and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the primary coalition partners in the federal government, the PPP confirmed the call in a post on X (previously Twitter).

Particularly in Punjab and Sindh, where both parties control provincial governments, the conflict has been intensifying over how disaster aid is being handled. One such flashpoint was when Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif responded to the PPP’s criticism by dismissing the party’s worries about Punjab’s flood response and Indus River water distribution and declaring she would not apologize.

Oct. 9, 2025 — PPP (@MediaCellPPP)

PPP legislators have protested by leaving the National Assembly and Senate as a result of the verbal altercation that has extended into parliamentary proceedings.

Top leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has started direct involvement as tensions threaten the stability of the alliance. Additionally, President Zardari has called on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to assist in mediating and promoting peace between the two parties.

Political analysts point out that despite efforts to defuse tensions, the alliance is nevertheless brittle, with ongoing jabs and media exchanges suggesting more serious rifts before important policy choices.