Lahore [Pakistan]: After Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) parliamentarians said that it has become difficult for partnership with Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to continue, the party on Sunday decided to part ways.
The PML-Q is a key ally of the PTI at the Centre and in Punjab and decided to break up and launch its own campaign for the next general elections after rising tensions between the two coalition partners, reported The Express Tribune. The announcement was made after a meeting of the PML-Q’s parliamentary party held under the chair of its Punjab president, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who is also the speaker of the provincial assembly.
All parliamentarians of the party had empowered the PML-Q’s Punjab chief to decide the fate of its alliance with the government.
The PML-Q leaders expressed their concern over the unprecedented increase in the prices of petroleum products and energy tariff as well as the depreciation of the local currency, reported The Express Tribune.
They also criticised the PTI government for its failure to rein in crimes and high level of unemployment in the country.
The party’s parliamentarians noted that the people were facing great difficulties in making ends meet because of the “negligence” of the government.
In this bleak situation, how public representatives would face their voters in their constituencies in upcoming general elections, they added.
The parliamentarians maintained that they had cooperated with the ruling PTI and extended all possible support to it. However, they added, it had now become difficult for the PML-Q to continue its partnership with the PTI, reported The Express Tribune.
The PML-Q leaders underlined that if the government did not pay heed to basic public issues, including inflation and unemployment, the situation would worsen in the country.
A day earlier, the PML-Q had already indicated to go against the PTI over “mistreatment of its workers” in Punjab and for “not being included in the decision-making process”.
“We have been supporting them [the government] in the Centre and Punjab for the past three years but the provincial government is mistreating our workers in every district,” Elahi said while chairing a meeting of the party’s central committee on Saturday.
Meanwhile, other opposition parties have already teamed up under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and announced that they would take to the streets against the Imran Khan government. (ANI)
