Amid the intensifying war of words between the PTI and opposition, the government’s two key federal ministers – Fawad Chaudhry and Sheikh Rashid – on Saturday stressed the need for having consensus between both sides of the aisle in parliament in the democratic system.

The suggestion, which prompted a sharp response from the PML-N, comes after Prime Minister Imran Khan bad mouthed opposition leaders during a public gathering while the multi-party confab continued to call the premier ‘incompetent and selected’.

To a certain extent, the opposition's March 8 action to submit the no-confidence motion against PM Imran has added to the political quagmire. Though, the ministers have labelled the development as the opposition’s democratic right but have also castigated them for apparently making a false attempt, which they say was “doomed to fail”.

In the meantime, the public has been reeling from inflation and the high cost of basic commodities in almost every part of the country, making every party accountable due to their major role in governance – areas include PPP’s Sindh, PTI’s Centre and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PML-N in some part of Punjab and coalition partners of the government in their respective areas.

However, the government has tried to introduce development programmes like the housing scheme, health card, ration programme, and education scholarships. Similarly, the PPP has also renovated tourist attractions in Karachi and provided hospitals with the latest equipment. These efforts do not seem to be enough, as people are still having trouble accessing basic utilities ahead of Ramazan.

In a tweet, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry accused the opposition of creating rifts in politics with their move of submitting a no-trust move in the NA. “Democracy is not a system of extreme divisions. There should be at least a system of consensus.”

He was of the view that there should not be so much division that it was difficult to have some sort of talks. “It is not difficult to fight but later on reconciliation is difficult.”

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid spoke in the same tone outside the Quetta airport. He called for resolving conflicts between the government and the opposition. But, Rashid continued with his prophecy that the opposition was about to lose and advised them to wait and have patience.

To a question on PM’s latest remarks about PDM head Maulana Fazlur Rehman, he said JUI-F leader Maulana Ghafoor Haideri was also making the same complaint to him.

Reacting to the advice, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb slammed the government for making such statements and accused them of starting the trend of badmouthing politicians. “Fawad’s statement is beyond reality. Give this advice to Mr Imran, who has turned politics into enmity,” she was quoted as saying in a series of tweets.

“Talks are held with politicians, not with those hooligans who use abusive language,” said, Aurangzeb, a former information minister.

PPP Sherry Rehman lamented the words used by PM Imran in his speech in Lower Dir. “Humans either side with good or evil. Only animals remain neutral,” the premier had said while addressing a gathering in the city of K-P.

“I was just talking to Gen Bajwa and he told me not to refer to Fazl as ‘diesel’. But I am not the one who is saying that. The people have named him diesel,” he had said and labelled the trio of Zardari, Shehbaz and Fazl as the three stooges.

In a series of tweets, Sherry said the PM’s speech shows that the latter was ready for a confrontation with everyone. “The language and accent they are using are astonishing. If someone from the opposition had interpreted neutral like this, the government would have had to raise its head. The government has been saying for three and a half years that institutions are neutral,” she said.

The PPP senator said that the premier had claimed to not join any bloc and stay neutral. She also recalled PM Imran’s claim to introduce a neutral umpire in cricket.

“Taking a U-turn with his own statement has become his global identity. His plan to avoid mistrust is pushing the country towards tension and constitutional crisis. In confusion they are [using] the wrong language and making [the wrong] plans,” Sherry said, “The days of this government based on the artificial majority are numbered.”