LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information Fayazul Hassan Chohan has asked federal Minster for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry to quit the party and the government if he is not satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“Such a disgruntled individual better leave the party instead of spreading rumours and damaging the party,” said Mr Chohan while talking to a private TV channel on Tuesday about the federal minister’s interview to Voice of America a day earlier.

In his interview, the federal minister had spoken at length about intra-party grouping and differences within the party affecting the performance of the government. He quoted Prime Minister Imran Khan as saying that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had six months to get things right, otherwise anything could happen.

Says the core committee member has a history of switching parties

Mr Chohan, in a rather harsh tone, asked Mr Chaudhry to stop washing (party’s) dirty linen in public.

He said: “He [Mr Chaudhry] is a member of the core committee. If he feels so strongly about the party problems, he has the highest party forum to speak instead of going to public every now and then to stir needless controversies. He uttered equally irresponsible words about Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar as well.

“I personally admonished him to control himself, and stop going public with such meaningless utterances. But he does not seem to have learnt.”

The provincial minister said that despite having the history of switching parties, Mr Chaudhry was given the core committee slot. “What else he expects from the party?” he remarked.

Mr Chohan denied that there were any differences within the party, insisting that the entire party was united under the leadership of Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2020