Jahangir Tareen handed job to placate PTI allies

PM forms committee to assuage coalition partners’ concerns

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday constituted a negotiating committee – headed by senior PTI leader Jahangir Tareen – to address the reservations of its disenchanted coalition partners – MQM-P, GDA, PML-Q and BNP-M.

The move comes a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan could not succeed in convincing MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to take back his Sunday’s decision of resigning as the federal minister of information technology over non-release of funds “for the municipalities in Karachi”. Though PM Imran sent Planning Minister Asad Umar and later called the convener himself on Monday to placate the party’s concerns, according to sources, Siddiqui did not budge from his stance of staying away from the federal cabinet.

As the ruling PTI tried to assuage MQM-P’s concerns, another coalition partner – the Grand Democratic Alliance – went public with an array of grievances against the federal government.
Sources said the negotiating team, which also comprises Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, is scheduled to hold a meeting with a delegation of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, headed by its President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, on Wednesday (today).

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar would also attend the meeting, they added.

Sources said the PML-Q had their own reservations over non-release of funds by the Centre for the ongoing development projects in Punjab, adding that the committee would apprise the delegation of the steps being taken by the government to address their concerns.
The negotiating team would also hold a meeting with Balochistan National Party-Mengal chief Akhtar Mengal on Thursday over the issue of missing persons.

“The release of 150 BNP-M workers is in the final phase,” the sources said. “The missing workers of the party would be released soon.”
They said the paperwork on BNP’s proposed development projects had been completed, adding that funds for the said projects would also be released soon.