PTI, PML-Q agree to bury the hatchet

Naeem-ul-Haq says the government would benefit from Chaudhry Shujaat's political acumen in all matters

LAHORE: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday succeeded in sorting out differences with its junior partner at the Centre and in Punjab — the Pakistan Muslim League-Q – with both parties deciding to continue their alliance.

“The PTI will take its allies — both at the Centre and in provinces along,” said Special Assistant to Prime Minister Naeem-ul-Haq while talking to the media after meeting with PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at the latter's residence.

MNA Moonis Elahi, the scion of the Chaudhry family of Gujrat, was also present during the meeting.

He said differences between the PTI and the PML-Q were not irreconcilable. He said he met the PML-Q leader on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Haq said the government would benefit from Chaudhry Shujaat's political acumen in all matters.

To a question, Haq said the PTI government was against all kinds of violence, whether it was at a police station or a Madrasa (religious seminary) as it was against the Islamic teachings.



About the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he said there was a need to bring about changes in the laws.

Responding to another question, Haq said there was need to improve NAB's performance.

“The government will work with all political parties to introduce changes in the NAB law,” and added, “As per the NAB law, it is mandatory to decide a case within 30 days.”

He said Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly ]Shehbaz Sharif's appointment as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman was not a result of blackmailing.

“In fact, the government wanted to make 38 committees of the National Assembly functional, while the opposition had refused to let that happen without the formation of the PAC,” he said while recalling the circumstances behind giving in to the opposition demand.

Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Shujaat rejected all rumours regarding any split in the PTI-PML-Q alliance, saying his party supported the PTI-led government. “Both the parties have pledged to stand united and their alliance will last for five years,” he added.

The PTI, he said, had given due share to the PML-Q in the government. “Imran Khan as prime minister is the need of the hour for the country,” he added.



Responding to a question, he said, “The PML-Q will not become part of any conspiracy against Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and would stand with him in the face of all challenges.

However, the PTI’s relations with another of its partner – the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) – suffered a setback as the latter had decided to boycott the recently-constituted committees of the National Assembly.

The party directed all its members not to attend the upcoming meetings of the committees for elections of their chairpersons starting from Monday (today) to show its resentment and anger over the composition of the committees as well as refusal of the PTI to give chairmanship of the choice committees to the MQM.

The ruling party has offered the MQM the chairmanship of the standing committee on statistics, which the party had refused.