ISLAMABAD: He was referring to the recent meetings of PPP and PML-N leaders with PTI government’s allies including PML-Q, MQM-P and others.
PM Imran also commended the political acumen of veteran politician Chaudhary Shujaat saying the government was not concerned about the opposition’s meetings and it has full confidence in its allies.
The premier also appreciated Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi, who belongs to PML-Q, saying his performance as the minister was up to the mark.
Speaking on the occasion, Elahi assured the premier that his party would remain a coalition partner of the ruling PTI.
He downplayed the historic meeting with a PML-N delegation, saying, “We are political people and our job is to meet politicians. But, the most important thing to understand is that when political people make relations they honour them, as we have made with you to keep it intact”.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday hit out at opposition parties, saying that their attempts to woo his government’s coalition partners particularly PML-Q to muster support for no-confidence motion reflected that they were in a ‘state of panic’.
“The workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf are ‘battle-hardened’ and opposition leaders in a state of panic are approaching political leaders like Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, showing concern about his health,” he said while addressing an international symposium on Pakistan’s hydropower development in Islamabad.
“Please, convey to your party members ghabrana nahin hai (there’s no need to panic),” he remarked to which the premier smiled and nodded.
A PML-N delegation led by its president Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday met with the PML-Q leadership at its residence in Lahore after a gap of 14 years as part of the efforts to muster support for the no-confidence motion against PM Imran.
Sources privy to the details of the meeting told The Express Tribune that the meeting lasted for over an hour during which the PML-N leader sought the PML-Q’s support for the no-confidence motion against PM Imran in the National Assembly.
The opposition leader said during the meeting that despite being an ally of the PTI government, the PML-Q had expressed its concerns on various occasions over the government’s policies. “Now it’s time to make a big decision,” Shehbaz was quoted as saying.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – anti-government alliance – had announced its plans for bringing a no-trust motion against the government last week after which the opposition kicked off its strategic preparations into high gear to muster support for its ambitious plan.
PDM chief Fazlur Rehman met with the leadership of the ruling party’s ally, Chaudhry brothers of the PML-Q, at their residence last week for this purpose.
Similarly, former president and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in a telephonic conversation, assured Fazl of fully supporting the motion against the prime minister.