LAHORE: With the deepening fissures in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) keeping its government in Punjab on its toes, the chief minister is desperately looking for reassurances and pledges from provincial ministers and MPAs.

Considering the considerable political stakes, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Friday spent a hectic day in office meeting dozens of parliamentarians and provincial ministers to obtain reassurances and pledges that they will stay loyal to the PTI in the upcoming test of the no-confidence resolution, moved by the opposition in the National Assembly.

The Punjab government is claiming that it has brought back different ministers and MPAs who were showing their support to either estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen or former provincial minister Aleem Khan.

According to the chief minister’s office, all provincial ministers, advisers, MNAs and MPAs assured Mr Buzdar that they would continue standing by the government through thick and thin. It said the lawmakers acknowledged that the chief minister had always listened to their grievances and resolved issues of their respective constituencies, besides giving them generous development funds.

PML-Q leader says party yet to chart course through turbulent political seas

They assured the chief minister that the conspirators had no future and the no-confidence motion would fail for sure.

Those called on the chief minister at his office included provincial ministers Sardar Asif Nakai, Hashim Dogar, Taimoor Bhatti, adviser Faisal Hayat Jabwana, MNA Khurram Shahzad, MPAs retired Col Ghazanfar Abbas Shah, Ghazanfar Abbas Chhe­ena, Ghulam Ali Asghar, Taimoor Lali, Muneeb Sultan Cheema and Sardar Mohiuddin Khosa.

The chief minister said those hatching conspiracies had been exposed and they had no future in politics. He asserted that the PTI government would foil the nefarious designs of the opposition that was trying to create political anarchy in the country.

“Failure of the no-confidence motion is written on the wall and the opposition knows well that the government is taking the lead in the number game,” Mr Buzdar said.

Chiding the disgruntled elements, the chief minister said politics for gaining personal interest was tantamount to the enmity with the country. He also chided PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for his hateful rem­arks about the First Lady and termed it proof of moral bankruptcy. He said the opposition was frustrated as its no-trust move would soon fall flat.

PML-Q grievances

PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Husain’s brother Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, while addressing a public meeting in Gujranwala, asserted that the party had not yet decided what to do in the turbulent political situation.

He criticised the PTI government for not even maintaining the respect of party leaders Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and Moonis Elahi as they were called by NAB now and then despite their support at the Centre and in Punjab. “It is greatness of the PML-Q leaders that they spent over three years supporting the PTI government,” he added. “If the PML-Q decides to carry on with the PTI government, it will have to share power in the government with our party leaders,” he asserted.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2022