Pakistan’s opposition leader Nawaz Sharif Friday expelled the nationally ruling Pakistan People’s Party from the Punjab provincial government, where it has been in coalition with his own party.
Punjab is the country’s most populous province and the decision by Sharif, a former prime minister who leads the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), is likely to trigger renewed political confrontation in Pakistan.
Sharif told a news conference that he made the move because of the central government’s “failure” to end corruption and improve the economy.
“We are parting ways, we are bidding goodbye to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) today,” Sharif said.
The PPP is a minor party in the provincial coalition.
In early January, Sharif made 11 key demands, including that the central government investigate corruption scandals, reduce non-development spending by one third, and set up an independent election body.
Punjab is the country’s most populous province and the decision by Sharif, a former prime minister who leads the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), is likely to trigger renewed political confrontation in Pakistan.
Sharif told a news conference that he made the move because of the central government’s “failure” to end corruption and improve the economy.
“We are parting ways, we are bidding goodbye to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) today,” Sharif said.
The PPP is a minor party in the provincial coalition.
In early January, Sharif made 11 key demands, including that the central government investigate corruption scandals, reduce non-development spending by one third, and set up an independent election body.
