Govt woes multiply as Aleem Khan joins Jahangir Tareen-led group

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: With the opposition parties’ fresh ultimatums to Prime Minister Imran Khan to quit his office or face a no-confidence motion in the assembly, contacts and consultations amongst the ruling coalition and the opposition camps intensified on Monday.

The prime minister had a series of meetings with his ministers about the fast-changing political situation and also presided over the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf core committee meeting, and made some important decisions.

On the other hand, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif jointly met PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at Zardari House in the capital and discussed the no-confidence motion against the government in detail.

The PDM chief also held a meeting with PPP leaders Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar in Islamabad and addressed a joint press conference.

In another major development, former senior minister Punjab Aleem Khan announced joining Jahangir Khan Tareen's group of the PTI legislators on Monday, saying he wants to reorganise the former loyalists of Imran Khan, who had been sidelined because of those who surrounded him after his becoming the premier, and to protect the party and its public popularity.

Addressing the core committee meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan asserted that the “opposition should satiate its fancy of no-confidence move, as all preparations were complete to deal with it”. The session was presided over by PM Imran, who is the PTI chairman, and attended by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Pervaiz Khattak, governors of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and others. The meeting discussed the latest political situation and the opposition’s moves besides the Friday’s terrorist attack, which claimed over 60 lives.

In the backdrop of the opposition’s no-trust motion and PPP’s march towards Islamabad, Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan gave a briefing on legal issues. It is learnt the premier contended that the agenda of ‘thieves’ (opposition leaders) would be thwarted, as the ruling alliance stood united. The PM made it clear that there was no threat to the democratic government even if all ‘thieves’ join hands against the government. He said those who were in danger of lawsuits could not bring revolution through looted wealth.

It is learnt that Pervaiz Khattak and Governor Sindh Imran Ismail were asked to meet the estranged PTI legislators. Imran Ismail was tasked to hold meeting with the Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan group of the PTI.

Briefing the media about the decisions taken at the PM chaired meeting, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the meeting discussed the prevailing political situation and the National Action Plan (NAP) implementation. “We have reached the culprits of Peshawar incident. Our forces performed very well. All accused including the mastermind have been identified,” Fawad added.

When asked about PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan, he said, “Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan are strong people of our party; they were and are part of the party. There is politics within the party and they are doing their politics. Internal politics goes on”. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Housing Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, who hails from Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PMLQ), called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and discussed issues related to overall political situation in the country. Cheema briefed the PM on the progress made on the low-cost houses projects for the middle- and low-income class in the country.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting attended by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and PTI National Assembly members from Sindh. The governor requested the PM to issue health cards for the people of Sindh from the federal funds. The PM promised that he would find a solution in the interest of the Sindh people. The meeting was attended by federal ministers Asad Umar, Ali Haider Zaidi, Muhammad Mian Soomro and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar and various others.

Meanwhile, the PM met PTI Member of National Assembly Sadaqat Abbasi and held detailed discussions for promotion of tourism in Murree, provision of timely assistance and facilities to tourists and Kohsar Development Authority.

At the opposition front, the meeting of the top leaders, Asif Ali Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman held a meeting to finalise the roadmap and strategy and dates for tabling the requisition of National Assembly session and no-confidence motion. However, final decision on dates was delayed and the legal committee was tasked to examine the role of speaker National Assembly legally and constitutionally in 24 hours.

The meeting at Zardari House was also attended by opposition leader in Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khursheed Shah, Naveed Qamar, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah Khan, Khwaja Asif, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Khwaja Saad Rafique, Murtaza Wahab and Marriyum Aurangzeb.

It was decided that a representative of the PDM would also participate in the PPP public meeting at the conclusion of long march in Islamabad on Tuesday (today). According to sources, Asif Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazl held separate meetings without party representatives on the issue of no-confidence motion.

Sources said though the meeting of trio finalised the date of tabling no-confidence motion against the PM, they did not announce it. However, an announcement in this regard would be made soon, and first requisition for the National Assembly would be submitted, added the sources. Sources said the situation would become clear by Tuesday (today). Sources in the opposition claimed that the next 48 hours were important. Sources said it was expected that another round of opposition talks would be held on Wednesday.

Yusuf Raza Gilani later told the media the opposition parties had decide to join the PPP long march on Tuesday. He said the no-confidence against the PM was discussed in detail. “PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will reach Islamabad on Tuesday and then the opposition will also sit together,” he said.

Asked about any telephones calls, Gilani said neither the calls came earlier nor today. Rana Sanaullah told the media there was no delay in the decision to move no-confidence motion. He said there was 100pc confidence that the no-confidence motion will be successful.

Earlier, the PDM president hinted at tabling of no-confidence motion against PM in 48 hours, saying the nation would get results as per their hopes and aspirations. In his talk with the media along with PPP’s Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar, the Maulana said, “The information exchanged in their meeting was very encouraging, and the nation would get the results as per their hopes and aspirations.”

The Maulana said he had no contact with PTI's Jahangir Tareen. “Whether the motion fails or succeeds, it is a political process and constitutional right,” he said.

About the prime minister calling him “Fazlu” in a public meeting, he said that was the reality of Imran Khan and that was the real Imran Khan, who uses foul language while standing in the street. “Who is he to threaten us,” he said.

In Lahore, Aleem Khan complained that after coming to power, a new leadership encircled Imran Khan and sidelined the "loyalists and committed leaders like Jahangir Tareen.” Sources said Aleem Khan and Tareen groups are likely to form a forward bloc in the PTI.

“If no-confidence motion is tabled against Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, then our group will take a consensus decision accordingly,” he said while addressing a press conference along with a dozen like-minded MPAs after holding a meeting at Jahangir Tareen's residence, chaired by Saeed Akbar Niwani.

Aleem Khan said his motive to activate himself and his group was that he wanted to save the PTI from political disaster. He said if PTI’s popularity had been growing he would not have been upset, adding that party’s performance has nosedived after coming to power. He said they had serious reservations about governance in Punjab. "Tareen had a vital role in PTI’s struggle to power, and it is strange that he was sidelined and not given any role after the party came to power. Similarly, the voters and loyalists are upset over the poor performance and public anger especially in Punjab,” he said. “I have talked to nearly 40 MPAs in the last four days, and a majority of them were dissatisfied with provincial government’s performance,” he added.

He praised Jahangir Tareen’s sacrifices, saying “he is sick at the moment, but expected to return in a few days. So I requested Saeed Nawani to call the meeting at his residence to let him know that he is not forgotten despite his absence."

Later in the evening, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail landed in Lahore, met disgruntled PTI leaders Aleem Khan and others, and asked him to call on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Sources said, apprising the visiting governor of his concern, Aleem Khan asked for time to consult his colleagues. Talking to the media after his meeting, Imran Ismail said Aleem expressed his reservations to him and he would put them before the PM. He said Aleem was still a ‘soldier’ of PM Imran Khan.

Sources said, during his meeting with Aleem Khan, Imran Ismail admitted that the estranged leaders grievances were genuine. Sources said the two leaders discussed the anger of the PTI members and the current political situation.