LAHORE: Problems seem to have cropped up again between the ruling coalition partners as the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on Monday decided to meet with the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to take up the issue of “unfulfilled promises”.

The decision was taken during a meeting of PML-Q which was attended by Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Federal Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, MNAs Moonis Elahi, Salik Hussain and Hussein Elahi at the Chaudhrys’ residence here. PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Husain chaired the meeting.

The meeting was told that the PTI had not been fulfilling the promises it made with the party and, therefore, the issue should be taken up with the ruling party leadership.

“This matter should be taken up seriously with the PTI leadership and if it does not pay heed to our genuine concerns, we will have to review our coalition with it,” a PML-Q leader told Dawn after the meeting.

“PML-Q had fully supported Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in the time of crisis and also voted for the passage of the budget and other important legislations like Financial Action Task Force (FATF) related bills and despite this we wonder that promises (made by PTI) with us are not being kept,” he said.

After the meeting, the PML-Q said in a press release that it had been decided that the party MNAs, MPAs and senior leadership would be consulted on important political matters shortly. “After consulting the party lawmakers and senior leaders important decisions will be taken,” it said, adding during the meeting Pervaiz Elahi and Tariq Bashir Cheema took participants into confidence over the issues the party wanted to take up with the senior coalition partner.

Earlier this year, the PML-Q had warned that it might review its alliance with the PTI if its “legitimate” demands were not met. The demands were related to the share in the administration in the constituencies where its (PML-Q) lawmakers had won, and empowerment of its ministers and implementation of the agreement inked by both parties prior to 2018 elections.

Under the agreement, the PML-Q was to be given two ministries each in the Centre and Punjab. In the Centre PML-Q has yet to be given the second ministry.

The PML-Q has five seats in the National Assembly and 10 in the Punjab Assembly.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2020