LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD: Following the opposition’s submission of a no- trust resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly, all ordnance feel to be pointing at the Punjab chief minister now. This was the background in which the high minister met Usman Buzdar and pacified him that he’ll continue to rule the fiefdom till the end of the ruling party’s five- time- term.
Soon after the submission of the no- confidence stir, Mr Khan met a number of digital intelligencers and categorically stated he was going nowhere and that he didn’t sweat the opposition’s move.
According to the information minister, Mr Buzdar also had a one-on-one meeting with Imran Khan at PM House. Media reports suggested that the Punjab CM offered his abdication so the premier could assuage displeased PTI leaders Aleem Khan and Jehangir Tareen, who have sought the former’s junking. Still, Mr Khan is said to have rejected the abdication and told Mr Buzdar he’ll continue to serve as the Punjab chief minister till the PTI completes its rule.
The PM told the intelligencers Mr Buzdar was an “ easy target” and only disliked by those who were eyeing the chief minister’s office.
Independently, Mr Khan held meetings with a number of lawmakers in his office, including Fazal Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Ghulam Muhammad Lali, Amjad Khan Niazi, Makhdoom Samiul Hassan, Yaqoob Sheikh, Sajida Zulfiqar and Andleeb Abbas.
Elderly PTI leaders Asad Umar, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mehmood and Amir Dogar were also present in the meetings.
Meanwhile, Mr Buzdar also sprung into action and met MNAs from Punjab to bandy the current political situation, strategy to balk the no- confidence stir and chalking out the unborn course of action.
In the background of Aleem and Tareen’s demand to remove the chief minister, the civil government had agreed to conciliate its party’s displeased leaders and asked them to propose names for a successor. Still, the Chaudhrys of the PML-Q cautioned their coalition mate, the PTI, against considering the name of PM Khan’s‘ old friend’Aleem Khan for the CM’s niche.
Khattak’s shuttle tactfulness
Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak on Tuesday communicated both the Tareen group, which purportedly comprises over two dozen MPAs and about 10 MNA substantially from south Punjab, and the PML-Q leadership over the Buzdar- related dilemma. “ Mr Khattak told the Tareen group that if it wasn’t happy with CM Buzdar it should propose a name as the relief and that the government may consider it,” a party bigwig told Dawn.
The Tareen group held another huddle on Tuesday in which the elderly PTI leader spoke to his sympathizers via a videotape link from London. The members pledged to stay united under Mr
Tareen’s leadership.
After the meeting, a member of the group, Nauman Langrial, who’s also part of the Buzdar press, verified to journalists Mr Khattak’s connections with them. “ Our group is ready to hold addresses with the government, but only under a disadvantage-Buzdar formula. In fact, effects have gone beyond minus-Buzdar,” he asserted and dismissed reports that the group had floated the name of Aleem Khan.
“ Our leader is Mr Tareen and he’s commanded to take a decision about a name for the Punjab chief minister or negotiating with the opposition.”
In an apparent reference to the opposition parties’ contact with the group, Mr Langrial said “ Other political parties have communicated us and we’re streamlining Mr Tareen in this respect.”
On the other hand, a PML-Q prophet told Dawn that Mr Khattak had communicated the party and asked for its opinion if Aleem Khan was considered for the Punjab chief minister.
“ The PML-Q categorically refused to support Aleem,” he stated.
“ The party leadership told the minister it can consider other names, but not Aleem’s,” he added.
Reportedly, CM Buzdar had in his meeting with PM Khan proposed the name of Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as the chief minister, observing that the PML-Q leader would be suitable to handle the situation in the fiefdom for being a seasoned politician and owing to his political leverage.
“ The PTI leadership is facing a doublejeopardy.However, the Chaudhrys will get irked and if it values its supporter’s opinion, the Tareen group may part ways with Imran Khan, If it agrees on Aleem for the Punjab principal ministership.
Buzdar marshals support
Meanwhile, Mr Buzdar also met with some of the MNAs who had met the high minister before in the day. Those who called on the CM at Punjab House in Islamabad included PTI principal scourge Malik Amir Dogar, Makhdoom Syed Samiul Hassan Gillani, Dr Muhammad Afzal Dhandla and Ghulam Bibi Bharwana.
According to a press statement issued by the chief minister’s office, the MNAs reposed their trust in PM Khan and Mr Buzdar. Expressing his views, Buzdar pledged to fight the opposition’s no- trust stir. “ We’re all united and will remain so in the future as well,” he claimed.
He claimed the opposition demanded the number of members for making the no- trust stir successful. Prime Minister Imran Khan enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the support of all assembly members, he maintained.
About the meeting with the PM, Punjab government prophet Hasaan Khawar said CM Buzdar neither spoke against Mr Aleem nor in favour of Mr Elahi in reference to media reports about the choice for the office of principal minister.
Although the PML-Q has maintained its support for Imran Khan, PML-N leaders are of the opinion that the Chaudhrys will have to ultimately join the opposition owing to the changing political geography. “ We’re in touch with the PML-Q leadership and trying to move them to join the opposition for the sake of the people as well as their own politics, ‘’ a elderly PML-N leader told Dawn. He claimed that not only the Chaudhrys, but the MQM and BAP would also join the opposition’s move to oust PM Khan.
