Cracks between PML-Q, Imran Khan-led PTI become visible, Pakistan Interior Minister backtracks from 'blackmailing' remark

Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Sunday backtracked from his accusation made against the PML-Q a day earlier, saying that his remarks were "general" and not directed towards any particular party.

Rashid Ahmed on Saturday alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) was "blackmailing" the government in return for support during the Opposition's no-trust move, The Dawn reported.

"I neither named the Q league nor the Chaudhrys ... I only said it in general," Rashid claimed. "[Chaudhry] Shujaat is my brother. God bless him with health ... I will never speak against him." Rashid did, however, say that the true test of a friend comes during trying times.

It seems that the three other allies -- the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) -- are waiting for each other to make a decision on the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan.

Given the party position in the National Assembly, if any two of the four allies of PTI make a decision to quit the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Imran Khan will lose the majority in the 342-member House. As many as 17 MNAs belong to these four coalition parties or alliances and the ruling party has the support of 179 MNAs at present.

While speaking at an event organised by the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries in Islamabad, Rashid revisited the topic and said that the comments he made were not for any particular party but in general.

"I stand like a rock with Imran Khan," the interior minister had said earlier in a press briefing. "I am not responsible for anyone else. I am not like those people with five (seats in the National Assembly) who are blackmailing (the government)," he further said in a veiled attack on PML-Q.

The PML-Q which is an important ally of the PTI at the Centre and Punjab had reportedly asked the Prime Minister to announce Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as the replacement for the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar of PTI, reported the newspaper.

The accusations made by Rashid invoked anger among PML-Q members. In response to Rashid's attack, Federal Minister for Water Resources Chaudhry Moonis Elahi of PML-Q tweeted, "I respect Sheikh Sahib @ShkhRasheed but he is forgetting that he used to take money from the elder leaders of this party (PML-Q) in his student life."

The Opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on Tuesday. However, the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion. As per sources, it has been recommended to the Speaker to summon the assembly session any day before March 22.

The remarks from the Rashid came as PML-Q leaders, after holding a consultative meeting in Islamabad on Saturday, announced that they would meet again on Sunday to finalise the party's stance and strategy.

The PML-Q had also criticised the 'profanity-laced speech' of Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday with party senator Kamil Ali Agha, saying, "We condemn the Prime Minister's speech. We consider it shameful and below the status of the Prime Minister."The PML-Q has now acquired a central role in the ongoing political drama despite having only five Members of the National Assembly (MNAs).

( With inputs from ANI )