PTI leaders express commitment to PM Imran Khan after Jahangir Tareen forms group

[MenInG]

KARACHI: Senior leaders of the ruling PTI have expressed their commitment to Prime Minister Imran Khan after the reported formation of a 'group' within the party.

On Tuesday, Jahangir Khan Tareen, former secretary-general of the PTI, had hosted a dinner at his residence in honour of several lawmakers who have been supporting him as he fights several cases. It was reportedly decided at the event that the attending lawmakers would raise their voice for Tareen in the assemblies.

Soon after the 'grouping' was reported, trends started to appear on social media supporting the prime minister and his vision.

Loyalist party leaders and ministers also issued statements and tweeted after the development.

Read more: Separate group formed after Punjab govt’s action against my supporters, says Jahangir Tareen

‘No place for those who do not repose confidence in Imran Khan’
Speaking from Turkey, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is the PTI vice president, said all members of the party were supposed to follow discipline and warned that “violation of rules could affect their membership”.

“No member of the party can violate the rules on Vote of Confidence and Finance Bill,” Qureshi said in his statement on issues related to party discipline.

Qureshi noted that the prime minister, on demand by some party members, had given the responsibility of an inquiry into the cases against Jahangir Tareen to Barrister Ali Zafar, and that he will prepare a report on the matter.

Read more: PM Imran Khan to receive fact-finding report on Jahangir Tareen next week

Meanwhile, he said, there is no room in the party for people who do not repose confidence in PM Khan, the founding member of PTI.

“These people should decide if they consider Imran Khan as their leader,” he added.

Without Imran Khan and his voters, he said, these people would not have been able to reach the assemblies.

‘PTI to complete tenure’
Meanwhile, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said that PM Khan is not only the prime minister but also the party chairperson.

“The PTI government has completed two years and the remaining tenure will also be completed. The PTI will remain in government for the next five years. Legislation will not be stopped; neither in Senate nor in the National Assembly.”

‘Tareen will vote for Imran Khan in budget’
On the other hand, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed responded to the controversy saying that Tareen will vote for PM Khan in the upcoming budget.

“Groupings in the party are a routine matter," he said.

GEO

 

[Bewal Express]

JT needs to have his day in court and clear his name. Stop looking for an NRO. IK isn't going to be blackmailed by crooks, remember there was once an organisation called PDM, I wonder what happened to them.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi warned on Wednesday those violating party discipline, saying their basic membership may be affected if they continued to indulge in the practice.

"All members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are bound to follow the discipline of the party," Qureshi said in a statement, released a day after estranged party leader Jahangir Tareen announced forming a group of like-minded group in the National and Punjab assemblies.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan invited those who expressed their reservations, listened to their concerns and assured them of delivering justice," he added.

He further stated that "No one can violate the party discipline over the vote of confidence and finance bill."

In a veiled reference to Tareen, the minister said that, "The premier had appointed Ali Zafar as the mediator on their request."

"They wanted a favourable individual named for the probe [into the actions carried out against them]."

"Ali Zafar hasn't yet submitted his report to the premier," he added.

Qureshi said, "If you approve of Imran Khan as your leader, then have faith in him," adding that, "If you don't have faith in him, you don't have the grounds to remain in the PTI."

He added that Imran Khan is the founding chairman of the PTI, "If it weren't for Imran Khan and his voters, these people wouldn't be in the assemblies in the first place."

The minister reiterated that, "Those approving of Imran Khan as their leader must agree to his decisions."

Earlier today, while speaking outside the court following his appearance in the money laundering case, Tareen said the like-minded group was formed in response to the Punjab government's retaliatory action.

"Prime Minister had promised to deliver justice but then Punjab government began retaliatory activities against us and pressurising us."

In this situation, he added, "We decided that we will raise our voice in the Punjab Assembly. The entire responsibility [of this development] lies on Punjab government."

"We have not formed a forward bloc; we have appointed a focal person to represent us in the assembly."

Tareen urged the Punjab government to stop its "retaliatory activities" forthwith.

Express Tribune

 

[Firebat]

Tareen dispels reports of split in PTI, says there's no forward bloc

Estranged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen dispelled on Wednesday reports of a split in the ruling party, even as he maintained that PTI lawmakers from “his group” would be raising their voices in the Punjab Assembly against what he called “acts of revenge” by the provincial government.

Tareen, who was addressing media persons outside the Lahore High Court (LHC), stressed that there was no forward bloc in the PTI, but admitted that the group he was part of had existed within the party for the past three months.

“[But] I am openly telling you that … we all are part of the PTI and will remain so,” he asserted.

Tareen, however, alleged that the Punjab government had been exacting revenge from the members of the group, using different pressure tactics such as transfers.

“We have decided to raise voice against it in the Punjab Assembly and have nominated Sardar Saeed Akbar Khan Niwani to lead this discussion in the assembly as our representative,” he added.

Recalling that Prime Minister Imran Khan had met the group and assured them that justice would be served and no revenge would be exacted, Tareen expressed confidence in the premier’s assurance.

“But the Punjab government also needs to stop [unjustified] action against our group and address our concerns,” Tareen said, reiterating that they would raise the issue in the provincial assembly as it was their constitutional right.

Tareen reiterated that there was no forward block in the PTI.

Reports of a split in the ruling party surfaced after Tareen, once a close friend to Prime Minister Imran Khan, announced on Tuesday the parliamentary leaders of "his group" — both in the National and the Punjab assemblies.

The announcement came at a dinner hosted by Tareen at his residence where, according to Raja Riaz, a member of the National Assembly from Faisalabad, four more MNAs and as many MPAs had joined the group. This, Raja Riaz claimed, had brought the total strength of the group close to 40.

Tareen had named Riaz the group’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, and Niwani in the Punjab Assembly.

Read more: https://www.dawn.com/news/1624513/tareen-dispels-reports-of-split-in-pti-says-theres-no-forward-bloc

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Faisal Vawda played down the importance of a group of fellow leaders who support Jahangir Khan Tareen, saying they can be handled by a station house officer (SHO) alone.

“However, the PTI does not know the politics that entails sending a police van [to the opponents.] They [the Tareen group] cannot withstand a pressure from a SHO,” Vawda said, talking to a local news channel on its current affairs programme.

“There is no doubt that Jahangir Khan Tareen is an intelligent and successful person. But, he is not Imran Khan, for sure.”

The PTI leader said Tareen earned respect thanks to Imran Khan, adding that whatever reputation he had was only because of PM Khan.

Giving an example of himself, he said, “I stepped into politics without inheriting any political legacy from my father or grandfather.”

“It will be wrong if I claim that I am a leader or I won the election in my constituency. It is mainly due to Imran Khan and his flag that people voted me into power.”

Vawda said no one should lose sight of their standing. He asserted, “Imran Khan is the leader and he will remain so. And, with 50 million Jahangir Tareens, 500 million Faisal Vawdas, and 500 million cabinets put together, they cannot create a single Imran Khan.”

The entire Tareen group is worth a manipulation merely by an SHO, he said.

The programme host asked him if he was sure that the group of dissenters would vote for the PTI government’s budget. Vawda replied in affirmation, however, he stopped short of saying this.

The PTI’s dissenters rallied around Tareen at a dinner he hosted at his residence Tuesday night. The Tareen-allied parliamentarians decided to nominate MNA Raja Riaz and MPA Saeed Akber Niwani as their leaders in the respective houses, according to media reports.

Prominent among those who attended the reception were MNA Riaz and MPAs Aslam Bharwana, Amin Chaudhry, Faisal Jaboana and others.

Riaz is the PTI MNA from Faisalabad. Other MNAs supporting Tareen from the party are Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Riaz Mazari, Khawaja Shiraz, Sahibzada Nazir Sultan and Ameer Sultan.

The pro-Tareen group also includes provincial ministers Ajmal Cheema, Nauman Langriyal, Faisal Jaboana, Abdul Hayee Dasti, Khurram Leghari, and MPAs Chaudhry Zawar, Salim Bibi, Aslam Bharwana and others.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI / LAHORE: Estranged leader of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Jehangir Khan Tareen and Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday downplayed the “rift” within the PTI even though the same widened the previous day with the announcement of parliamentary leaders of Tareen group in the National and Punjab assemblies as the former dispelled the notion of any forward bloc in the party while the latter termed the development a “routine matter”.

Mr Ahmed said that members of the (Tareen) group would vote for the government during the budget sessions of the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly.

“Tareen will support Prime Minister Imran Khan in the upcoming budget session. PTI is a big political party and such groupings in any party are a routine matter,” the minister said while talking to journalists during his visit to an under-construction hospital in Rawalpindi.

In Lahore, Jahangir Tareen said his group was still a “part of the PTI”. However, he accused the Punjab government of subjecting the members of his group to vindictive tactics.

Sheikh Rashid says JKT group will support govt during budget session

He was talking to the media outside the judicial complex after appearing before two courts for hearing of his pre-arrest bail applications in three first information reports relating to the sugar scam.

Talking about the cases against him, Mr Tareen said he was hopeful of a positive outcome since Prime Minister Khan had assured his supporters, in a meeting, that justice would be dispensed with. However, he claimed that the Punjab government was resorting to vindictive actions against the members of his group and had been pressurising them after they met the prime minister.

Explaining what he called vindictive actions, he said the government had started shuffling the bureaucrats considered favourite of the lawmakers in his group. He said the victimisation of his friends was against the policy of the prime minister.

The senior PTI leader said that decisions reached at Tuesday night’s dinner at his residence were the result of the pressure his parliamentarian friends had been facing at the hands of the provincial government. He said the lawmakers had only been nominated to raise their voices for the group in the provincial assembly.

Rejecting the impression that a group had been formed within the PTI at the dinner, Mr Tareen said his group already existed for three months. “The only difference is the nomination of the group’s representatives to voice our concerns in the assembly,” he said, adding that the media reporting blew up the event as if a forward bloc had been created.

He maintained that his group was with the PTI and would remain a part of it. “There are no cracks in the party nor will there be any,” he stressed.

Mr Tareen, once a close friend of PM Khan, urged the Punjab government to stop “vindictive” tactics against his group and resolve their issues amicably.

“They are your own MPAs. Their votes made you the chief minister,” he said without naming Usman Buzdar.

“Every individual is free to have his/her own opinion, but the group’s decision will be collective,” the sugar mogul responded when reminded that some members of his group had announced they would abstain from voting on the budgets of the federal and the provincial governments if the “vindictive” actions did not stop.

During his press talk, Sheikh Rashid said that the prime minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia was the most successful visit and now cooperation between two brotherly countries would further increase.

Responding to a question, he said the people of Pakistan would express solidarity with the Palestinian people on Friday. A gathering will also be held at Lal Haveli in Rawalpindi keeping in view the Covid-19 standard operating procedures.

He said Prime Minister Khan had directed them to hold public gatherings for the rights of innocent Palestinian who had become victim of Israel’s brutalities.

Talking about the mother and child hospital on Asghar Mall whose construction had started in 2006, the minister said work on the project was stopped in the previous tenure of PML-N government but the PTI government would give two mega projects as a gift to Rawalpindi – the hospital and Nullah Leh expressway.

“Work on the hospital had been stalled for years, and efforts started last year to complete the hospital’s construction. The out-patient department will become functional in six months. The hospital will have 400 beds,” he said.

The minister said that he was grateful to Dr. Faisal for coming to the hospital for the second time. He is also setting up a cancer department in this hospital.

He said that hospital and Nullah Leh expressway project would be completed in the tenure of the incumbent government.

He said he would talk to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Thursday (today) for commencement of work on Nullah Leh expressway project

SAPM Dr Sultan said tenders for procurement of hospital machinery had been opened and general surgery would also be arranged at the hospital.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2021

 

[MenInG]

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on Saturday that the PTI and members of estranged PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen's (JKT) group had decided to move forward as a "family" and united political party, adding that any personal or collective problems would be resolved through dialogue.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore along with members of the JKT group, the minister said he and PTI leader Aamir Mehmood Kiani had been tasked by Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit the group and hear their point of view in detail.

"We all have decided to move forward as a family and a united party as is tradition. There is no issue of grouping in this or conflict between one another,

"We have decided that we will sit and have talks to solve any personal or collective problems. We are all united under [Prime Minister] Imran Khan's leadership," Chaudhry said after the meeting with the group, adding that the delegation had also been tasked to solve the issues of the group in an "organisational manner".

Chaudhry said all of them were one "family" and often there were coordination issues in a family. He acknowledged that there was a need to improve the party's political and administrative coordination.

According to the information minister, the members of the JKT group had "expressed confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan's leadership and they are proud of their relation with the PTI and these are the basic things which we are all united on".

He said issues sometimes arose on small matters or problems but on "big issues, all these people are clear that Imran Khan is their leader and PTI is their [political] party and there are no two opinions about it."

Today's meeting came after the JKT group held a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Friday (yesterday). "We are happy with the way the investigation is proceeding against Tareen and we are satisfied today with the prime minister's promise to us that there would be no injustice with Tareen," Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial had said after the meeting.

He said that the group had received a very "positive response" from Chief Minister Buzdar, who had heard their concerns with "patience" and issued instructions to resolve the same.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran had also met with some Punjab ministers from the Tareen camp on the same day. A source in the Prime Minister's Office told Dawn that the premier had assured the legislators that all “genuine” demands of the group would be met.

Earlier today, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan had claimed that "there is no grouping within the PTI," while addressing reports of divisions in the party. "PTI is one. These are all people of PTI and they are standing with it. There is no forward bloc or grouping in PTI," he stressed.

 

[OMB]

Ministers back GDP growth data amid debate


ISLAMABAD: An unexpected rate of economic growth in the current fiscal year has triggered a heated debate in the country, with several members of the federal cabinet coming up with a string of justifications to prove authenticity of the data involved and the main opposition leader expressing doubts over the calculations of government’s economic team.

The National Accounts Committee (NAC), a body having representation of all the stakeholders, including provincial officials of crop reporting services, bureau of statistics and senior economists has estimated that economy will grow at 3.94 per cent in the year 2020-21.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif termed the figures released by the government “wrong”.

Taking to Twitter, Mr Sharif said the PML-N had left the growth rate at 5.8pc at the end of its tenure. He went on to say the PTI government had also exaggerated the original figures of 1.9pc to 3.3pc in the first year of its government.

Shehbaz claims figures released by govt are wrong

He accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of running the country only for his friends. “PTI government has made 5 million people unemployed, 20m people have gone into the worst poverty,” he said.

Planning Minister Asad Umar also took to Twitter to reply to questions raised about the health of NAC figures. “This is not your time to tell the committee what to announce,” said Mr Umar in response to Mr Sharif’s tweet in which the latter had pointed out that questions were asked in the NAC meeting also, which proved that the statistics were not correct.

Mr Umar said questions were raised in the professional non-political committee, the data was examined and a unanimous decision was made. “You can’t believe how Imran Khan revived the economy you destroyed, in spite of Covid-19,” he further remarked.

Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, who has quarantined himself on advice of his doctors, used his Twitter handle to comment on the NAC figures. However, State Minister for Finance and Revenue Dr Waqar Masood Khan was present in the NAC meeting.

Mr Tarin said Pakistan witnessed a strong V-Shaped growth despite being in a tough International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

The IMF programme was necessitated by unsustainable current account deficit and declining foreign currency reserves, besides a vicious Covid 19 pandemic.

Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, who served as finance minister for a brief period, hoped that growth in economy would reach 4pc during the current fiscal year.

“This is the outcome of our prudent economic policies despite the negative impact of Covid-19”, the minister said while sharing economic outlook of his government at a news conference.

The minister said this is not a temporary growth but will be sustained and further strengthened in coming years.

When the year 2020-21 began, IMF estimated GDP growth at 1pc and SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) at 2pc; then SBP improved their forecast to 3pc and IMF improved to 1.5pc. He said improvement in projections come with the arrival of fresh data.

He said multiple economic research entities and analysts had predicted 4pc economic growth this year despite challenges posed by Covid-19. And they made this prediction many months ago and prior to official estimates, he further said.

Mr Azhar said that large-scale manufacturing grew by 9pc during the first nine months of the current year and the country’s export had been recorded at $3.2 billion in the month of March. He said goods’ exports remained at over $2bn for seven consecutive months. It is expected that exports would cross $25bn and reach an all-time high figure.

The minister said that foreign exchange reserves had touched the level of $23bn, which is the highest in five years since December 2016. And remittances had witnessed a growth of 39pc in the current year in July-April to $24.2bn. He said over $2bn in remittances were received for 11 consecutive months.

The rupee appreciated by 9pc since August 2020 from Rs168 to Rs153 and rated as the best performing currency in the last three months, he said.

He said that current account had a surplus of $959 million in July-Mar 2021.

He said that sale of cement and automobiles increased during the period under review while better crop prices benefitted the farmers’ community.

In response to a question he said the government had formulated a plan to address the issue of circular debt.

Talking to Dawn State Minister for Finance and Revenue Dr Waqar Masood Khan said that questions were asked during the meeting and were subsequently addressed by the relevant people.

He said the SBP projection of 3pc growth of GDP was based on old crop production figures. The revised figures of crops especially over 27m production of wheat was shared with the meeting’s participants, he said, adding the figures keeps updating at the provincial agriculture level.

The provincial crop reporting services of agriculture departments shared the updated figures with the NAC meeting. “No one was expecting the highest-ever growth figures in wheat,” he said.

He said SBP projection was based on estimation and now actual and updated data had come.

About the estimates of IMF and World Bank, Dr Waqar said that multilateral donors keep growth rates on the lower side. He said in the last IMF programme growth rate was projected at 1.5pc to 2pc but the economy actually grew at 4pc in the year 2013.

He said that multilateral donors don’t have their own data and rely on the data provided by government of Pakistan. He said Federal Board of Revenue posted a growth of 6pc in the first six months while it grew at 16pc in the four months of the second half.

“The growth in revenue collection is showing that economic activities are going on in the country”, Dr Waqar said.

Minister for Industries and Production Khusro Bakhtiar took to twitter saying despite worldwide economic slowdown, flag of Pakistan’s economy continued to rebound and showed remarkable turnaround. LSM recovery continued to expand at 9.29pc growth, highest since 2011 which will lead overall industrial sector growth.

He said that broad-based economic recovery amid a pandemic is a result of government’s successful economic policies to revive industry and agricultural sectors through fiscal stimulus and construction package.

Due to the Agriculture Package, country produced highest amount of wheat and sugar cane, improving living costs in rural areas. The boom in construction sector will help achieving 5pc economic growth rate next fiscal year. Industrial sector will continue to lead economic growth, he added.

Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan said achieving GDP growth of 4pc with other positive indicators and macroeconomic stability during a global recession is a huge achievement. “This is the achievement of the government and has proven all detractors wrong”, he added.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1625181/ministers-back-gdp-growth-data-amid-debate

 

[OMB]

FM Qureshi lashes out at Jahangir Tareen group

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday lashed out at the Jahangir Tareen group within the PTI, saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan was the party's leader and the PTI stands with him.

Related items
CM Buzdar assures Tareen group he will address their concerns
Report on Jahangir Tareen cases not yet submitted: Barrister Ali Zafar
Faisal Vawda mocks Tareen group, says it can be 'controlled by an SHO'
Who are the 34 members in Jahangir Tareen’s camp?
Separate group formed after Punjab govt’s action against my supporters: Jahangir Tareen
PTI leaders express commitment to PM Imran Khan after Jahangir Tareen forms group
The foreign minister was speaking to PTI workers in New York where he called out the party's lawmakers that are supporting Tareen.

"[They say] we are with you [the PTI] and then they say that they are not with us. Then they say Imran Khan is their leader. If that is so, then why the contradiction?" he asked.

The minister, criticising the Punjab lawmakers standing with Tareen, said if they wished to stand with the prime minister then they should do so without hesitancy.

"Imran Khan has said he is not out to get revenge," said FM Qureshi.

He said that the sugar mafia has been blackmailing this government, adding that they threaten of turning the "majority into minority".

"I tell Imran Khan to take a stand," he added.

The foreign minister, during his address, also slammed Israel for its human rights violations and war crimes in Gaza. He stressed that the entire Pakistani nation stood in solidarity with their Palestinian brethren at this critical time, according to the Foreign Office.

FM Qureshi said PM Imran Khan attached great importance to overseas Pakistanis and considered them "great assets" who continue to support the country by way of supporting Pakistan’s interests in the international arena.

It is no secret that there is no love lost between Tareen and the foreign minister. Reports of differences between the two made their way to the media a month before general elections 2018 when Qureshi hit out against Tareen.

Without naming Tareen, the minister had said that he didn’t consider someone as competition if that person could not contest an election. After the jibe, Tareen had advised Qureshi to refrain from taking the party’s internal divisions public.

Ever since then, frequent reports in the media have pointed out tensions still persist between the foreign minister and Tareen.


Separate group formed after Punjab govt’s action against my supporters: Jahangir Tareen
Punjab lawmakers loyal to Tareen formed a separate parliamentary group to raise their voice against, what they called, "revenge tactics" by the Punjab government against its members.

Tareen, however, had denied reports he was forming a forward bloc in the party. "We were part of the PTI, we are part of the PTI and we will continue to remain part of the PTI," he had said.

The estranged PTI leader had accused the Punjab government of transferring officers of the ministers that were loyal to Tareen, "left, right and centre", and were putting pressure on them.

He had said the pro-Tareen group, due to the Punjab government's actions, decided to "raise their voices against this in the Punjab Assembly".

Tareen had said members of his group had decided to nominate MPA Saeed Akbar Niwani to "lead the discussions" against the alleged revenge tactics of the Punjab government, in the assembly.

He had blamed the media for making a huge deal about the news.

He had urged the Punjab government to "stop with their actions", adding that the lawmakers who are part of the Tareen group are "your MPAs and you [Buzdar] became the chief minister by their votes".

https://www.geo.tv/latest/351443-fm-qureshi-lashes-out-at-jahangir-tareen-group

 

[MenInG]

Prime Minister Imran Khan reportedly reached out to estranged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen on Saturday in what appears to be a bid to ensure he hasn’t lost his old friend to the opposition, which has been making overtures towards the disgruntled PTI stalwart for supporting a possible no-confidence motion against the premier.

Similarly, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani approached the government’s important ally, the Chaudhry of the PML-Q, to read their mind about the ongoing parleys with the opposition.

When asked to comment on the premier getting in touch with Mr Tareen to inquire after him, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said: “I can neither deny nor confirm this.”

However, the minister was of the view that the opposition was bound to bite the dust at the end of the day in its effort to oust PM Khan. “It is hard to understand the opposition’s agenda, which is so complicated that even its own members are confused,” Chaudhry remarked.

On the other hand, Mr Tareen left for London for treatment as he has apparently not been well lately. A source told Dawn that before his departure, PM Khan telephoned and inquired after him. “It was a good gesture by PM Khan and may help restore the relations between them,” he said.

“Who knows, PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and Tareen may even establish direct contact with each other with both being in London,” the source said. The relations between Khan and Tareen had soured following the sugar scam.

PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his concerns over the health of Mr Tareen and prayed for his speedy recovery.

On Friday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid had claimed to have requested the premier to talk to his “old friend”, but some PTI members did not approve of the idea. “If rivals can meet after 14 years (a reference to Shehbaz and Chaudhrys of the PML-Q), why can’t Imran meet Tareen, as they both are friends?” he had questioned.

Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak also claimed that seven opposition MNAs were in contact with the ruling party and at an appropriate time he would announce how to bring the opposition members to their side. Khattak believed the allies would remain loyal to the PTI.

After meeting the Senate chairman in Lahore, PML-Q senior leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi said: “The people had given a five-year mandate to the PTI government and we will not allow parliamentary traditions to be trampled.”

He said every democratic government had the right to be allowed to complete the period given for public service, adding the ongoing consultations and meetings were part of the political process. “Any decision will be taken after consultation with the parliamentary party. In the current political situation, national interest is supreme and we have a keen eye on the changing political climate; we want practical steps to be taken to provide immediate relief to the people,” Mr Elahi stressed.

Senate Chairman Sanjrani hoped the Chaudhrys would find a way out in this political milieu since they were keeping a close watch on the ever-developing scenario. He also inquired after PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

PML-N claims PM to dissolve NA
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday claimed Prime Minister Imran Khan has prepared a summary to dissolve the National Assembly in anticipation of the opposition’s no-confidence move.

“Imran Khan has prepared and signed a backdated summary to dissolve the National Assembly in the wake of the no-confidence motion,” PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah told reporters.

He said the PML-N, PPP and JUI-F had completed their homework regarding the no-confidence move and sought a final say of Nawaz Sharif. “The PTI members (with whom the opposition is in contact) and government allies are awaiting the decision of Mr Sharif. Even Imran Khan is waiting for his (Sharif’s) decision,” Sanaullah claimed.

He further said the “political drone attack” Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid had claimed PM Khan would commit in the coming days was, in fact, the dissolution of the assembly.

Meanwhile, Balochistan National Party-Mengal chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal called on Shehbaz Sharif at his residence in Model Town and discussed the no-confidence motion against the premier and other matters.

“The preparations regarding no-confidence motion are under way and we will move it at an appropriate time,” Shehbaz said. In reply to a question, the National Assembly opposition leader said: “God knows better about the success of the move.”

Mr Mengal said his party was a part of the opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement, and it was taken on board in all decisions. The issues of Balochistan should be solved through political wisdom. He also raised the issue of missing persons and sought its solution.

Bilawal’s presser
Sounding confident and determined about the opposition’s renewed campaign against the PTI government, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari claimed Prime Minister Khan will not survive the vote of confidence if the establishment chose to stay neutral. He asked the premier to step down to avoid the public wrath and a defeat in parliament.

Responding to a question after his press conference at Bilawal House, Karachi on Saturday, however, the PPP chief appeared a bit skeptical about the establishment’s role in the emerging political developments, but made it clear that whatever the results of the no-trust motion, his party would continue its struggle. “The PPP believes in the politics of issues without caring for others’ role and viewpoint,” he stressed.

The opposition must struggle for a one-point agenda --- get rid of Imran Khan – for which they should be on one page and formulate a joint strategy, he maintained. He hoped the institutions would remain impartial amid “a deteriorating economy, failure on the foreign front and fast declining social and cultural norms”.

About the PPP’s long march on Islamabad starting on Sunday (today) from Mazar-i-Quaid, Bilawal said it would not only mobilise the people of Pakistan, but also rekindle the hope that their problems, poverty and fast-collapsing democracy could be saved. He insisted the solution to all problems now lied in fresh and fair elections.

“So I demand Imran Khan to step down if he wants to avoid people’s anger and a defeat in parliament [vote of confidence],” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.

PTI march
Led by foreign minister and PTI senior vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Haleem Adil Sheikh and Iftikhar Ahmed ****, the ruling party in the Centre launched its march on Karachi from the Ubauro town of Ghotki district in Sindh on Saturday. Thousands of supporters are said to have participated in the procession.

Addressing the march at Ubauro, Qureshi warned the Sindhi-speaking community against the exploitation of the province by the PPP and suggested the population wake up to the excess with them.

“No programme, no development, no jobs or any industry or agricultural development has been made by the PPP in the 15 years (it has ruled the province).”

He said the large number of participants in the march proved they trusted PM Khan and claimed the PTI would form a government in Sindh after the 2023 general elections.

Mr Sheikh and Mr **** also spoke on the occasion before the latter slipped from the container they were on and was admitted to a Pano Aqil hospital for injuries.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2022

 

[MenInG]

Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen over the phone after a long hiatus and inquired after his health, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi confirmed on Monday.

Speaking to a local TV channel, Qureshi downplayed the premier’s contact with the ailing disgruntled leader, saying PM Imran called his former close aide as a “goodwill gesture” after he fell ill.

According to the media reports, the premier telephoned Tareen before his departure to London, reportedly for medical treatment.

The development comes days after two federal ministers urged the prime minister to contact Tareen in an effort to torpedo the chances of success of the opposition’s no-confidence move, sources had told The Express Tribune.

It is learnt that the two federal ministers met the prime minister, suggesting him to contact Tareen but got a stony silence from him, the sources added.

PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah on Saturday dismissed rumours that estranged PTI leader Tareen was travelling to London to hold a meeting with party supremo Nawaz Sharif.

“As per my information, Tareen went for her medical treatment and no meeting is scheduled with Mian Nawaz Sharif," Sanaullah added.

The Jahangir Tareen group is considering supporting the opposition in the no-trust move against the PTI-led government, sources had said after the group held a meeting at the residence of Awn Chaudhry under the chairmanship of Tareen.

The group gave authority to Tareen to take a final decision.

According to sources, the majority of the group’s members decided to enter the political arena with full force and launch the anti-government strategy.

Most members of the group suggested standing with the PML-N in the anti-government stance while those hailing from Jhang advised maintaining independent status.