Allies on opposite side, Elahi rings alarm bells

Punjab speaker says Imran 100% in trouble, backs opposition claims of more than enough MNAs

PUNJAB:

Punjab Assembly Speaker and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Tuesday rang alarm bells for Imran Khan, saying that the prime minister was “100%” in trouble because of the no-confidence motion against him.

In an interview with a private news channel, the PML-Q leader – a major ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at the Centre and in Punjab – criticised the prime minister, saying that he had a desire for revenge, which was not the way to govern.

“Imran Khan is 100% in trouble, as all allies are on the opposition side,” Elahi said. “The government 100% lacks wisdom and understanding. The prime minister has a great desire for revenge, which ios evident from the fact that he puts everyone in NAB [National Accountability Bureau]. There are no such ways to govern,” he added.

Elahi said that when Moonis Elahi delivered his speech, “we started receiving threats from NAB”. “There are a lot of inexperience people among the rulers,” he said. “They should have learned first. If they come down, they would learn,” he added. “The government is under threat from its own people.”

Elahi termed the opposition alliance among the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) “strong and lasting”, saying: “When opponents are united against one person, bitterness among them is forgotten.”

The Punjab Assembly speaker backed the opposition’s claim that it had more votes than the number required for the success of the no-confidence motion. “The opposition is right to say that they have more people. And ‘surprises’ have yet to come,” the former Punjab chief minister said.

Coming back to the government, Elahi said that there was a remarkable number of ineptitude people among the ruling elite. “They take politics as a game,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Imran was “too late” now because the cracks in the ruling coalition had widened.

Elahi said the government should not pass on the blame of its incompetence to any external conspiracy. If the opposition joined ranks and came together to go after him, the prime minister would not be able to stop them.

“Our strategy is to wait and see,” the Punjab Assembly speaker told the interviewer, when asked about the PML-Q’s strategy in the wake of the joint opposition’s no-confidence motion filed against the prime minister on March 8.

He stressed that the PML-Q could not “do it alone”. He said that before taking any decision, the party would consult the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) – another ally of the prime minister – and Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of the PPP.

“Asif Zardari will be the guarantor if our arrangements are finalised [with the opposition],” Elahi said in the interview. “Asif Zardari has assured that if this does not happen, he will also get away from this matter,” he said, without elaborating.

When asked about the PML-N, a major component of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the speaker said that the main opposition party was in full command of its Quaid and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. “Whatever, he says the Nawaz League follows.”

Punjab CM

When pressed on reports that he wanted the chief ministership of Punjab for himself, Elahi said that the PML-Q wanted to make up for inefficiencies of the incumbent government. “If we get the chief ministership, we will make up for the inefficiencies of the PTI,” he said.

“If I become the chief minister, I will fulfil all my promises and not betray anyone,” he added. Pressing further on the issue, he stressed that even if the no-confidence motion against the prime minister was successful, the provincial assemblies would continue to function.

The PML-Q leader revealed that PM Imran had offered the PML-Q to merge with the PTI. He also said that Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid was still fond of Prime Minister Imran, therefore, he had forgot the closeness with the Chaudhry brothers.