Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Sunday made attempts to smother the political heat with a soft tone for PML-Q and clarified that he never named the coalition partner of the ruling party in his Quetta media briefing.

In an apparent reference to PML-Q during media talk on Saturday, Rashid said: “I am not like those who have five seats and blackmail the premier to assume the chief minister’s office.” It had prompted a quick response from Water Resources Minister Moonis Elahi, a PML-Q leader. In a tweet, Moonis had reminded Rashid of his family’s financial support to the latter during student life.

Sunday’s clarification from Rashid comes, as the Q-league would announce their final decision today (Sunday) in the ongoing tug of war between the government and opposition over the no-confidence motion that has doubled the war of words in the country’s political arena.

No-trust move: Sheikh Rashid's remarks elicit angry response from PTI allies

“Yesterday, in Quetta somebody asked and I just said that those with four-five seats are also blackmailing the government, which irked the people. I have admitted this thing in my three books of which millions of copies have been sold,” the interior minister said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

He admitted that Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi and Khawaja Safdar had helped him and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s mother used to send him food the whole year in Mahmdipur, Madinapur, Shadiwal, and Karainwala after he was “declared innocent”. Rashid apparently replied to Moonis's tweet and reiterated that he had admitted all such claims himself.

“God and the nation will respect those who will stand with PM Imran and we are standing like a rock with him,” he said, “I neither took the name of Q-league nor Chaudhrys.” The interior minister said it was a general statement, adding that his statements whether they are against him or not become news

He said: “[Chaudhry] Shujaat is my brother and may God give him health and I will never speak against him.”

Rashid, who is famous for his political prophecies, also said that PM Imran’s position would further be cleared after March 15. Moreover, it was the National Assembly speaker’s discretion to decide the day of the vote of no-confidence session.

Fawad, Rashid call for ‘reconciliation’ as political matters simmer

He added that the government has announced holidays on March 22, 23, and 24 in Islamabad in order to assist the foreign ministers in a better way.

On the opposition’s rant and rave, he said the incumbent government used to do the same thing when it was on the other side of the aisle in parliament. He expressed hope the premier would complete its five-term and called for taking the coalition partners together. “Humans should stand with friends in a time of difficult.”

To a query, he said that none of the JUI-F volunteer workers – Ansarul Islam – was in custody and reiterated that no militia force would be allowed to enter Islamabad.

He termed seven days from March 27-30 “important”.

Rashid admitted that the country was moving towards “anarchy” and called for heading towards democracy, adding that there should be a decision on a no-trust move. The interior ministry would find a better way for the public gathering of opposition and the government, he added.

He was of the view that there would be talks after the premier will survive the no-trust move, stressing the need for ending tensions between the opposition and the government. “We should not head towards hostilities.”

Rashid expressed hope that there would not be any need to call the army under Article 245 of the Constitution to control the situation on the day of the vote.