The delicately poised situation of the PTI-led coalition showed visible signs of cracks after an angry exchange between Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid and the ruling party's allies in Punjab (PML-Q) and Balochistan (BAP) ahead of the opposition's no-confidence motion seeking PM Imran Khan's ouster.
The interior minister, during his visit to Quetta today (Saturday), accused coalition partners of blackmailing the government in return for support against the no-trust move.
When asked by journalists of his position in case the opposition's motion is successful, Rashid replied that he will "stand like a rock with Imran Khan."
He then went on to say that he wasn't responsible for other allies. "I am not like those who have five seats and blackmail the premier to assume the chief minister's office," he said in an obvious reference to PML-Q leaders who have reportedly demanded to de-seat CM Punjab Usman Buzdar.
When pressed about it, he said that he was speaking in context of Punjab.
He also said that the party's allies in Balochistan, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) was "fully" behind PM Imran Khan.
Moonis Elahi hits back
This elicited a sharp response from Federal Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi, a senior PML-Q leader.
"Sheikh Rasheed might have forgotten that the leaders of [PML-Q] today are the ones who used to give money to him while he was a student," the federal minister tweeted.
The exchange comes as the government and united opposition of PPP, PML-N and JUI-F have increased efforts to woo government allies ahead of the no-confidene move.
The PML-Q leadership has also been in contact with the opposition leadership and are yet to announce their support for either party ahead of the no-trust move. Meanwhile, PTI's breakaway factions led by Jahangir Khan Tareen and Aleem Khan are also a cause of concern for the ruling party as it is not obvious if they will support the government against the motion.
Meanwhille, BAP chief Jam Kamal, the former chief minister of Balochistan, also tweeted an image of the press conference with the statement that the party would take its own decisions and not the one's conveyed to them by Sheikh Rashid.
