LAHORE: Amid reports of a rift between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi alleged on Saturday that the ruling party has been “mistreating” their “workers in every district”.
The Punjab assembly speaker was quoted in a press issued by the party stating that the PML-Q’s parliamentary committee will meet on Sunday again under Elahi’s chairmanship. The party said that the PML-Q will issue a “unanimous decision” after the huddle. It did not indicate what the decision would be.
“For the last three years, we have been taking them along in the federation and the province. We are taking care of them, but they are not. The Punjab government is mistreating our workers in every district,” the provincial assembly speaker alleged.
On the other hand, PML-Q’s General Secretary for the Punjab chapter Senator Kamil Ali Agha asked the PTI to remember how they “won” the senate elections in the province “without asking for votes”.
“The rulers also forgot that none of their candidates came to [us] for votes, yet in the most difficult election of the Senate, we gave them success,” claimed the senator.
PML-Q unhappy with Punjab govt, CM Usman Buzdar’s ‘ignorant’ attitude
PML-Q has been 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 on Sunday to formulate their future strategy.
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.
PML-Q will remain our ally: CM Buzdar
Separately, 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.