‘Minus-Buzdar’: Tareen group boycotts Punjab cabinet meeting

Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) group, an estranged faction of the ruling PTI, remained indecisive on the matter of no-trust motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan by opposition parties.

After holding consultation on the matter, the minister, advisers and special assistants belonging to JKT group decided to boycott the Punjab cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune the government ministers approached the disgruntled members to convince them to attend the meeting but the JKT group decided to skip the huddle.

On the other hand, Aun Chaudhry, a leader of the JKT faction, informed head of the group Jahangir Tareen that he received “positive signals” from federal ministers for the ‘change’ in the Punjab government.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak told Chaudhry to postpone any decision regarding supporting opposition or government in no-trust move as “positive signals” had been received about JKT’s demand of removing Buzdar from the post of Punjab CM.

Read JKT group’s 17 members ‘conditionally’ ready to back PTI

A day earlier, a total of 17 lawmakers belonging to estranged JKT group expressed their conditional readiness to return to the ruling PTI in the wake of the opposition’s upcoming no-confidence motion against PM Imran.

Sources said a government team led by Punjab Education Minister Dr Murad Raas held talks with the JKT group.

The members of the group were offered to address their concerns and also have a direct meeting with PM Imran or Punjab CM Usman Buzdar. The members of the group again demanded that Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar be replaced.

They added that they did not want to leave the party but Buzdar would have to be sent packing.

According to the sources, the 17 members of the group presented a long list of reservations with CM Buzdar and also briefed the negotiators on constituency issues, bureaucracy and retaliation by the government.