ISLAMABAD: While on one hand Prime Minister Imran Khan continued meeting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNAs to seek their renewed support for the opposition’s no-trust resolution against him, his party on the other hand intensified its efforts to woo its allies in the government.

Those who called on the prime minister at the PM House on Friday were federal Minister for National Food Security Fakhar Imam, PM’s special assistant Ghulam Arbab Rahim and MNA Ghazala Saifi.

“The PTI leaders expressed confidence in the leadership of Imran Khan and recalled his achievements such as social welfare projects, upward economic trends, a sagacious foreign policy, the holding of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation foreign ministers’ conference and raising the issue of Islamophobia on the international level,” an official press release stated.

The food security minister apprised the premier of the expected bumper crop of wheat.

Qureshi claims MQM assured govt of support; Bilawal meets BAP leaders

On the other hand, the ruling PTI intensified its efforts to woo its allies to seek their support for the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi got in touch with the leadership of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). After his meeting with the MQM, Mr Qureshi countered the claims of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that an understanding had been reached between the opposition party and the MQM.

He claimed that a PTI delegation had met MQM leaders wherein the allies denied they had reached any agreement with the PPP. He further claimed that the meeting remained successful as the MQM assured the government of its support in the lower house.

The foreign minister also telephoned PML-Q senior leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi, and informed him that a ruling party delegation would meet the Q-League leaders in Lahore on Saturday (today).

Meanwhile, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry claimed that the opposition was upset after seeing a “huge” public meeting addressed by the PM in Mansehra on Friday.

He said arrangements for the “historic” PTI gathering in the federal capital on Sunday were in their final stage. As the government stepped up its efforts to placate its coalition partners, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also met PTI-allied Balochistan Awami Party leaders in Parliament Lodges.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2022