LAHORE: The leaked video of the Punjab Assembly speaker and a federal minister complaining about Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar continued making waves on Sunday, even though all stakeholders played down the contents saying “there is nothing serious”.

“The Pakistan Muslim League-Q is the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s coalition partner and the latter is supposed to listen to the former’s grievances, if any. Heavens will not fall with such drawing room talks,” according to some PTI leaders.

The governor, the speaker and the federal information minister have reaffirmed that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is the “centre of power” and there should be no confusion about the matter.

In the leaked video, Punjab Assembly Speaker and PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi, and Federal Minister Tariq Cheema are seen complaining to PTI stalwart Jehangir Tareen at Mr Elahi’s residence.

Mr Cheema is heard asking Mr Tareen, "Sir control Sarwar". Mr Elahi endorses the minister’s request and adds, "Sarwar will not let your chief minister perform his duty freely".

Punjab chief minister is the centre of power, insists governor

“The media persons are more than interested in discussing the leaked video showing PML-Q leaders complaining about Governor Chaudhry Sarwar to PTI’s former general secretary Jehangir Khan Tareen and demanding that Mr Sarwar should be controlled,” the PTI’s senior leaders say.

Responding to media persons’ queries in Faisalabad, the governor asserted that the chief minister was the centre of power and there should be no confusion.

Saying that PML-Q was the PTI’s key coalition partner, he claimed that the video of the speaker and the federal minister talking to Jahangir Tareen had nothing serious to discuss about. The PTI was ready to listen to its coalition partner’s grievances, he added.

Acknowledging that minor differences did appear even among family members, the governor added: “Sky will not fall with such drawing room talk”.

Answering a question, Mr Sarwar said that he had held a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday evening. There was no mention of the speaker and the federal minister’s complaint during the conversation, he added.

Reacting to Tariq Bashir Cheema’s complaint about interference in his constituency, Mr Sarwar said that he was visiting every constituency and added that he did support a party candidate Naeem Warraich contesting from a constituency adjoining Mr Cheema’s constituency.

Speaking to the media in Lahore, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also brushed aside reports about power tussle between Governor Sarwar and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi.

Asserting that there was no crisis of leadership in the PTI, Fawad Chaudhry said Imran Khan was the only leader and all others, including the governor and the chief minister, were party workers.

“The party is united and unanimously executing decisions taken by the prime minister.”

In a lighter vein, the minister said: “The lesson learnt is that one should remain vigilant as a hidden device could be recording everything.”

A source told Dawn that Mr Tareen, after the meeting with Mr Elahi, called on Imran Khan and told him about the grievances of the PML-Q leaders. Mr Tareen said the governor, during his meeting with certain MPAs of the PTI, was giving the impression that he was ‘equally powerful’ in Punjab and had interfered in some transfers and postings. However, after the video went viral, Pervaiz Elahi called a press conference at his residence and played down differences with Chaudhry Sarwar.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2018