Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday expressed the hope that four dissident Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers would return to the party’s ranks today (Saturday).

While talking to media along with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, the information minister expected the return of four PTI lawmakers. One of the MNAs had replied and said that he had not breached party discipline, he said, while adding the reply of another MNA is expected too as Minister Asad Umar was meeting him today (Saturday).

Responding to a question regarding the government allies, Fawad said discussions were held yesterday with PML-Q and the process would continue tonight.

The minister was confident about the failure of a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said people would disagree with the oppositions’ stance.

He said it would be a historic gathering today (Sunday) as the people would not support the corrupt practices of horse-trading.

He further said the government had never stopped anyone from conducting rallies and jalsas. Rather, he challenged the opposition to conduct a jalsa, so that everyone can figure out who the people of Pakistan support.

He claimed it was for the first time after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto that the foreign policy of Pakistan was free, and the wheel of the economy was turning in the right direction.

He urged the people coming to tomorrow’s rally to maintain discipline and follow the guidelines provided by the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court. He also urged them to remain peaceful and not to block roads. However, Minister Zaidi, while directly addressing Sindh’s chief of police, asked if he was the inspector general for all of Sindh or a “slave” of Bilawal House.

The minister claimed he had reports that MNA Jam Abdul Karim had returned to Pakistan while the Sindh IG was “asleep”. He said around 50,000 street crimes had been registered in two months during his tenure.

You do nothing about it, but when our workers do a peaceful protest, the Sindh Police register FIRs of kidnapping and trespassing, he added.

Zaidi further asked the Sindh IG what kind of a legacy he would leave after he retires from the police force. He demanded of the IG to leave a better legacy and take back the FIRs that are registered against the PTI workers. “We are peaceful people, but do not force us to hold a sit-in outside someone’s house,” the minister said.

Governor Ismail said that a meeting of the party’s core committee was held Saturday during which Prime Minister Imran Khan shared his views, wholeheartedly.

He said that all the members of the committee agreed with the PM’s views. The PM would show his ‘trump card’ soon to the people, he said.

Regarding the murder of Nazim Jokhio, Governor Ismail said that he had written a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to arrest PPP MNA Jam Abdul Karim as soon as he returns to Pakistan from Dubai.

He said when courts call them they fall ill and go abroad but when there is horse-trading, they return. He would be dealt with as per law and Constitution, he said.

The story was originally published in Business Recorder on March 27, 2022.