PTI moves to mend cracks in ruling coalition

Govt negotiators meet PML-Q, BAP leaders to assuage their concerns

ISLAMABAD: The ruling PTI on Wednesday rushed to reassure its political allies after the MQM-P’s articulation of smouldering grievances set off a domino chain reaction with more coalition partners going public with their apparent disillusionment.

A government negotiating team met the senior leadership of PML-Q – an important coalition partner of the PTI in the Centre as well as in Punjab – a day after Housing Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema skipped the federal cabinet meeting laying bare the cracks in the ruling coalition.

The ruling PTI – which has a slim majority in parliament – understands that the support of its allies is critical for the survival of its coalition government. Perhaps this was the reason, the ruling party quickly swung into action when Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, a MQM-P minister in the cabinet, said he was stepping down.

Though the government was quick to placate the estranged MQM-P, Siddiqui refused to attend Tuesday’s meeting of the cabinet. While he didn’t show up unsurprisingly, the absence of a PML-Q minister was unexpected – and it set off alarm bells.

The government negotiating team – led by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak – met PML-Q leaders Tariq Basheer Cheema, Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Chaudhry Hussain Elahi at the Punjab House in Islamabad to assuage their party’s grievances.

Khattak was accompanied by PTI’s veteran leader Jahangir Tareen, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Arbab Shahzad.

The negotiating team was formed by Prime Minister Imran Khan to improve working relationship with the government’s allies.

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At a joint appearance before the media after the meeting, Tareen sought to quash speculation about any fissures within the ruling coalition. “The government will complete its five-year constitutional term – and our allies will remain our allies,” he said emphatically while ruling out any threat to the government.

He went on to add that the misunderstandings of the allies would be removed.

Cheema also downplayed his absence from Tuesday’s meeting of the cabinet. “We have no differences with the government. We only had some concerns regarding development projects in our constituencies, but the government has assured to assuage these concerns,” he told journalists.

Cheema said every attempt to drive a wedge between the government and its allies would be defeated.

The government negotiators have assured to fully empower the PML-Q ministers in the federal as well as Punjab cabinets and the party’s concerns vis-à-vis development funds would also be addressed.

The Punjab chief minister has directed the provincial chief secretary and police chief to improve working relationship with the PML-Q, according to the sources. He has also promised that the PML-Q MPAs in Punjab will have full control in their respective constituencies.

As part of their efforts to keep the ruling coalition from disintegration, the government negotiators also met with a delegation of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAAP), another ally of the PTI at the Centre as well as in Balochistan, at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The BAP leaders, according to the sources, asked for a portfolio in the federal cabinet and release of funds for development works in their respective constituencies.

The government negotiators assured the BAP leaders, including Khalid Magsi, Ehsanullah Reki, Sana Jamali, that the prime minister would soon visit Balochistan because, according to them, the impoverished province figures high on his priority list.

The BAP leaders also raised the chronic problems of low gas pressure and power outages in Balochistan. Rampant unemployment and underdevelopment were the other issues taken up by them.

However, Magsi in an effort to preclude any misgivings reiterated trust in the vision of Premier Imran, saying his party, BAP, would stand by the PTI through thick and thin.

The government’s outreach to its allies came days after MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui announced he was pulling out of the federal cabinet where he holds the portfolio of information technology.

A government delegation, led by Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, met the MQM-P leadership in attempt to assuage the concerns of the estranged ally. The prime minister also called up Siddiqui to persuade him to rescind his decision.

However, Siddiqui appears to be in no mood to review his decision. The sources say he would formally submit his resignation to the prime minister on Thursday. He took time because he wanted to list all the reasons for his decision to step down.

The MQM-P has said it would remain a government ally irrespective of Siddiqui’s resignation.

Interestingly, while the government was busy placating the MQM-P, another ally, the Grand Democratic Alliance, also criticised the PTI for reneging on its promises. “We demand nothing for ourselves but we want development of the cities of Sindh and jobs for its youth,” GDA Information Secretary Sardar Rahim said in a statement. “Until now, the federal government has not fulfilled any of its promises.”

On Tuesday, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, who belongs to the PTI, met GDA chief Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashidi to listen to his party’s grievances. Appearing before the media after the meeting, he sought to dismiss speculations about any differences between the two parties.

“The GDA would remain a member of the ruling coalition as the two parties would jointly work for the development of Sindh,” he added.