Screengrab of Pervaiz Elahi’s interview with Mehr Bokhari
PMLQ leader says opposition’s claims of having the support of ‘more than 172 MNAs’ is ‘right’
Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) leader Pervaiz Elahi, who is also the Punjab Assembly Speaker, on Tuesday claimed all the parties comprising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led ruling coalition are “inclined” toward siding with the opposition against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“It is Khan’s duty to reverse the tilt,” he told journalist Mehr Bokhari during an interview with Hum News. “But I believe the time to send delegations [seeking support] has passed. Had he done this earlier, this could have been avoided,” he added.
There has been rampant speculation over the role of the PTI’s allied parties in the success or failure of the no-confidence resolution submitted against the prime minister by the opposition. The country’s major opposition parties—PMLN, PPP, JUIF—have all claimed they have the support of several dissident members of the PTI. However, the government claims it has no dissidents and actually has the support of around five opposition MNAs. The allied parties have emerged as potential spoilers, as their siding with the opposition would nullify the need for any dissident lawmakers. Thus far, the PMLQ, MQM and BAP—comprising 17 seats in the National Assembly—have yet to confirm their support for either the government or the opposition.
While NA Speaker Asad Qaiser has yet to convene a session of the Lower House to debate the no-confidence resolution and vote on it, it is likely to occur on March 28 or 29. The government has announced an “historic” rally at D-Chowk in Islamabad on March 27 to display public support for the prime minister ahead of the vote.
During his interview, Elahi claimed the alliance of the JUIF, PMLN, and PPP was “lasting” and stable and claimed that he agreed with former president Asif Ali Zardari’s assessment of the opposition having far more support than was needed to oust Khan. “This is what we have assessed and seen,” he added.
To a question, the PMLQ leader said the government had no one but itself to blame for its precarious situation, adding that it should have used the past three-and-a-half years to build relationships instead of ruining “things with everyone.” Without naming anyone, he said the “work done on the government’s behalf” prevented it from learning things for itself.
“The child will learn to walk only when you put him down,” he said. “Would you keep on changing nappies all his life?” To a direct question by Bokhari on whether the allies were getting “any calls” to support the PTI, Elahi said that some calls were coming “from Peshawar.” But stressed that this no longer mattered and did not have any impact on the current situation.
Ruling out the possibility of early elections, the PMLQ leader claimed that he had been assured by PPP co-chairman Zardari that the incumbent assemblies would complete their five-year tenure. To a question, he said the opposition had already offered him the slot of Punjab’s chief minister as well as an electoral alliance. However, he added, the government has not made any similar offer.
To a question on why he hadn’t accepted the opposition’s offer, Elahi said the PMLQ was waiting to see the government’s counter-offer. However, he noted, there was a great trust deficit with the PTI because of its failure to adhere to past commitments. “They should at least rectify their track record or people won’t have trust in you,” he said. He also accused the government of forcing the National Accountability Bureau to target the PMLQ, including his son Moonis Elahi, who is also a federal minister. “NAB officials said that there are no cases to be made against them so then they ordered to NAB that ‘if you keep on looking you will find something’,” he alleged.
The PMLQ has an often combative relationship with the opposition’s PMLN, and Elahi admitted that there was similar trust deficit with the party. However, he claimed, Zardari had intervened and acted as guarantor of the PMLN.