Two out of five coalition partners boycott lunch hosted by PM

by Mian Abrar in Pakistan Today, Nov 6, 2020
ISLAMABAD: At least three of the five coalition parties of the federal government on Thursday expressed solidarity with Prime Minister Imran Khan while Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) opted to stay away from a lunchoen meeting hosted by the prime minister.
The parliamentary leaders of Mutahidda Qoumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) expressed resolve to stand by the government, stating that Prime Minister Imran Khan has the ability to solve all problems, including ending inflation.
According to various leaders who attended the meeting, leaders of the MQM, GDA and BAP vowed to stay by prime minister through thick and thin. However, the PML-Q and the BNP did not attend the PM’s luncheon.
The BNP leaders are currently out of the government coalition and rather their leaders are attending public rallies of the opposition alliance of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). Likewise, the PML-Q said their reservations over certain issues remain unaddressed due to which the PML-Q did not attend the luncheon.
PML-Q central leader Chaudhry Moonis Elahi said that their alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is only to the extent of casting votes in favour of the prime minister and on government moved bills.
“Our agreement is not to break the bread with the prime minister,” he added.
A source told Pakistan Today that the leaders of the MQM and GDA expressed concerns over the misconduct of the Sindh government.
“The MQM and GDA lawmakers told the prime minister that Sindh bureaucracy is also delaying the federal projects at the behest of the PPP. Every department in Sindh is controlled only by the PPP,” the source quoted the lawmakers of MQM-P and GDA.
The source said that the allied parties told the PM that it is inappropriate to ignore elected members of parliament in federal plans.
“During the meeting, the MQM-P lawmakers expressed concerns over the implementation of the Karachi Transformation Plan. MQM-O members said that work on Karachi Transformation Plan has been slow. The people of Karachi are being affected due to non-cooperation of Sindh government,” the source said.
The source added that the MQM-P lawmakers were of the view that Sindh government has also been favouring Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) loyalists in the Ehsaas programme and Bait-ul-Mal.
“The Sindh government is deliberately ignoring the problems of our constituencies. Same concerns were also expressed by the Muslim League-Functional in the meeting,” the source concluded.https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/05/two-out-of-five-coalition-partners-boycott-lunch-hosted-by-pm/