As ice between the government and its allies is melting, a meeting between the government’s negotiations committee and leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) is scheduled to take place tomorrow (Monday).
The government’s negotiations committee has formally contacted the PML leadership for Monday’s meeting, which will take place at the residence of the Chaudhry Brothers in Lahore at 12.30pm. The government’s negotiations team and the PML leadership would discuss issues relating to their coalition. Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar will participate in the meeting on a special invitation. Members of the government’s Punjab committee, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood would attend the meeting. Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, his son and MNA Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, MNA Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema and Chaudhry Salik Hussain would represent the PML at the meeting. Members of the government’s Punjab committee had invited their party’s federal leaders to the meeting after the ruling coalition partners expressed concerns about the government’s style of working.
As a result, Pervez Khattak, who was heading all committees holding negotiations with the PML at different levels, was invited to the meeting. Asad Umar is the person who will order release of funds for any project agreed upon by the government and the PML, therefore, he too has been invited to the meeting. The government’s negotiations committee in Punjab has recommended action on the issues already agreed upon with the PML.
Elahi had complained a few days ago of being ignored by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf despite being a key coalition partner. “At one stage, Prime Minister Imran Khan requested me to handle the situation in Punjab Assembly because the PTI lacked the number to form a government in the largest province,” he said on a 24 News political talk show. He spoke at length about the coalition issues at the programme, Nasim Zehra @8, on Monday and proposed the future course of action that needed to be adopted by the PTI to ensure better performance in Punjab.