LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), one of the allies of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, was unhappy with the Punjab government and claimed that the party leadership was not being consulted before making key decisions.
During a PML-Q central committee meeting on Friday, the party expressed reservations over Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar regarding development funds for the constituencies, in which, PML-Q candidates had won. It complained that CM Buzdar was interfering in their constituencies amid the upcoming local body government and was not taking them on board before making decisions, Bol News has learnt.
The party’s central committee, under the chairmanship of PML-Q Punjab President Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, also deliberated over the current political scenario.
A senior PML-Q leader told Bol News that the party will meet again today (Saturday) to formulate their future strategy.
During the meeting, Senator Kamil Ali Agha noted that despite being an ally of the PTI, the Punjab government and CM Buzdar meets the assembly speaker only during the budget meetings or when PTI needs PML-Q and Punjab Assembly Speaker Elahi’s support.
During the meeting, party leaders complained that they were promised development funds for the constituencies, which were never released, said sources.
“CM Buzdar and the Punjab government’s attitude towards us is ignorant,” said another PML-Q leader.
According to party insiders, PML-Q Secretary-General and MNA Tariq Bashir Cheema accused CM Buzdar of “poking his nose” in their constituencies.
“The local body elections are nearing the areas where we [PML-Q] are dominant or have a good majority, and the decision of those union councils should be made by us and not him [Buzdar]. People from our constituencies ask us that why we are still an ally of the Punjab government when they do not care about us,” sources quoted him as saying this.
Cheema had also expressed PML-Q’s reservations ahead of the federal and Punjab budget during the current financial year.
“A majority of leaders, who were present in the central meeting, were in favour of coming out of the Buzdar-led Punjab government,” sources maintained.
“Our leadership is currently expressing grievances against the Punjab government and will be free to exercise all its political options if its concerns are not addressed,” a PML-Q leader was quoted as saying.
According to Elahi, in the past three years, his party had been standing with the government through thick and thin both in the centre and Punjab, but it had never been with us.
“The attitude of PTI government towards our workers in every constituency of Punjab is not good, and they are badly treated,” said Elahi during PML-Q central committee meeting.
The committee will meet again on Sunday for deliberation and devising a formal strategy for Punjab.
Joint Session ‘called off’
The PTI was left with no other option but to call off a joint session of the parliament recently after they failed to get the required number of legislators. The PTI allegedly did not rectify their reservations regarding the use of electronic voting machines (EVM) and the voting rights of overseas Pakistanis in the next elections.
The PML-Q – an ally of the ruling PTI both at the centre and Punjab – had asked for some time over the EVM, according to sources.
“We have certain reservations about the use of EVM and want to do some in-house deliberations on its use and the voting rights of
overseas Pakistanis,” sources quoted PML-Q leadership as saying this.
Likewise, MQM, another ally of the PTI government in the centre, had also expressed concerns about the use of EVM and other issues, insisting that Prime Minister Imran Khan must hold a meeting to address their concerns.
‘CM Buzdar asked to address the grievances of PML-Q’
After the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Friday decided to give tough time to the government in the parliament and fearing a ‘no confidence motion’ against CM Buzdar in Punjab, PM Imran urged him to address the grievances of the PML-Q on priority.
“You [Buzdar] need to address their grievances be it local body elections, development funds or any other issue otherwise, things might worsen in Punjab as PPP in convincing other opposition parties including the PML-N in Punjab to go for a ‘no confidence motion’ against you [Buzdar], sources quoted the premier as telling CM Buzdar in a meeting.
“CM Buzdar, who had returned to Lahore on Friday night, became active on Saturday with a resolve to address PML-Q’s grievances in Punjab as he fears that they might announce leaving the Punjab government after today’s meeting,” sources privy to this development told Bol News.
They quoted CM Buzdar as saying, “I [Buzdar] had always taken PML-Q on board for decision making being an ally in Punjab and never took a solo flight in the province. Will take their input and keep them intact in future as well.”
According to political insiders, “Although it is less likely that PML-Q will come out of alliance with PTI in Punjab if it happens CM Buzdar led government would be in hot waters and could be sent packing anytime.”
PML-Q will remain our ally: CM Buzdar
CM Buzdar on Saturday said that PML-Q will always be PTI’s ally. “We were allies, we are allies and will remain allies,” he said.
The CM vowed to improve the working relationship with the PML-Q and said, “I had met PA Speaker Elahi before going to Saudi Arabia. So, this impression is wrong that I do not meet them.”
“The people who are trying to create rift and misunderstanding between us would not be able to succeed, and their conspiracies would fail. We will continue serving people along with our allies,” CM Buzdar maintained.
“The opposition has no agenda for the betterment of the masses, and they do politics only on non-issues, he added.
