GUJRAT: The issues between the ruling PTI and the PML-Q, the key partner in the coalition government of Punjab, may be resolved within the next few days.

According to reliable sources, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhry Muhammad are trying to play a 'positive' role in bridging the gap between the senior leadership of the coalition partners.

The fresh issues surfaced after the Punjab government planned to reshuffle key officers in the administration and police set-up of Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin districts where the PML-Q is supposed to prevail in most of the affairs as per the agreed-upon formula between the coalition parteners.

Sources said that the PML-Q had conveyed its concerns over any attempt by the senior partner to violate the power-sharing formula which could further affect their ties.

However, on Wednesday Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Moonis Elahi called on CM Buzdar and as per sources various proposals to settle the issues were discussed.

An official source privy to the background developments said the Punjab governor visited Islamabad on Wednesday for a consultation with top PTI leadership, most probably with Prime Minister Imran Khan, over the matters related to the PML-Q in an attempt to normalise the tense situation among the coalition partners.

He said Buzdar and Sarwar had held several meetings during the last one week during which the issues of coalition partners were also discussed.

The PML-Q had also held an emergency meeting of its lawmakers on Monday last in Lahore which was chaired by party president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. The meeting discussed the matters related to the alliance with the PTI government.

It is learnt that lists of panels of officers for transfer and posting in Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin had also been shared between the coalition partners which might be implemented in the next couple of days. “The nature of future relations between the two partners is expected to be determined through the transfer and posting of officers in these two districts that are considered the bastion of the PML-Q,” the source said .

Earlier, PM Khan had reportedly directed the Punjab government to reshuffle the key officers on the main posts of administration, police and other government departments in Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin districts.

The proposal of swapping of officers between both these districts was also discussed but it could not get through after which the lists containing panels of officers were shared.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2020