ISLAMABAD – The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will soon allay concerns of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), the major coalition partner of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s coalition governments in the centre and Punjab, in the wake of the ongoing anti-government movement of opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
The senior PTI leaders including Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, Minister for Planning Asad Umar and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak would soon contact the PML-Q leadership to address their grievances on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, informed sources told The Nation.
According to the sources, the ruling party believes that its coalition governments in the centre as well as in Punjab were facing no threat with the PML-Q showing their concerns as this was not the first time that the latter they had moved so. The PTI leaders say that they would negotiate with the PML-Q and their fair and legal demands would be met at a time when the local bodies and Senate elections are fast approaching.
Earlier this week, PML-Q had not participated in the luncheon, hosted by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself for the coalition partners of his government, while showing its grievances with the PTI government over different issues. Â
On the said day, PML-Q leader and Federal Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema in a public statement had said that they had reservations because PM Imran Khan has never included PML-Q in the consultation process despite his weekly visits to Lahore. There is no use in attending the lunch if PML-Q is not important for the prime minister, he also said.
The absence of PML-Q in the luncheon was a setback for the PTI because it was basically a show of power of the coalition government to counter anti-government movement of 11-party alliance of opposition called as PDM.Â
The PDM that is seeking ouster of PM Imran Khan and fresh election has geared up its political activities by holding public rallies in major cities of the country. This is not the first time that PML-Q has shown its reservations over the coalition. In January this year, Cheema had skipped the federal cabinet meeting while PML-Q had threatened to quit the coalition government saying if its genuine and legal demands were not fulfilled.
At that time, PML-Q had said that the PTI government was denying them their due share in administrative affairs as well as in the development budget for their respective constituencies and districts according to the power-sharing formulae signed between PTI and PML-Q after winning the 2018 general elections.
A committee comprising senior PTI leaders had got the matter settled with PML-Q after successive round of talks between the both.
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