Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has suggested that the united opposition should withdraw the no-confidence motion, which was tabled last week against the prime minister in the National Assembly, while offering to hold talks on the many prevailing issues in order to resolve the brewing political situation in the country.

“My advice is that there should be a way by which the opposition takes back this no-confidence motion and we will see what we can give them in return,” he said while speaking in Aaj News TV programme Aaj Rana Mubashir Ke Saath on Sunday night.

Fawad was of the view that the opposition’s March 8 decision has created differences among the political parties and it has led to a moment of “unintended consequences.” He feared that the two-three weeks of time till the date of the vote would further increase the hostilities between both benches of the house, adding that it would impact the country.

The information minister added that the national interest should be kept first amid the changing international economic situation.

“The opposition can place a demand for early elections. There is no problem in having talks on this issue,” he said, “It can only proceed after talks, no one can any unilateral decision.”

Internal reaction within PML-N

On the loyalty of allies, he said the local politics was different as compared to the mainstream while questioning the reaction of the public when the PML-N would accommodate the PML-Q into their fold. He quoted Newton’s Third Law of Motion to prove his point, saying: “Every action has an equal but opposite reaction.”

Moreover, Fawad added that he had reminded the people, who have apparently been promised a ticket by the opposition, of the PML-N’s past promises. “[Former PM] Nawaz Sharif in his good times never fulfilled his promises to allies,” he said, adding that people should calculate the ratio of N-league vows.

In the past, he added that former PML-N leaders, who contested elections on the PTI ticket, lost the polls. He claimed that the PTI and PML-N would be the two main parties in the next Punjab elections as the PPP has not got any response from the country’s largest populated province. “That’s why I had advised [former PTI leader] Nadeem Afzal Chan that there will be more votes for Rahul Gandhi than Bilawal Bhutto if you join Congress instead of PPP.”

To a question, Fawad quoted Chan as taking an “emotional decision” to join the PPP. He dispelled the impression that Chan would secure his seat as the PPP did not have such votes.

'Buzdar not a problem'

“[Punjab CM] Buzdar’s going is not difficult… this time the problem is Buzdar’s replacement,” the information minister said, adding that every member wanted to become the Punjab CM. He lamented the lack of consensus between the province’s groups.

He expressed hope that estranged PTI leader Jehangir Tareen and Aleem Khan would be brought back to the ruling party after resolving their reservations. Fawad added that both the leaders had “many contributions” to the party. “In the next 48-72 hours situation would be clearer,” he said.

Public gathering at D-Chowk

Fawad claimed that the government would have a public gathering of around one million people on the day of the vote at the gate of D-Chowk and every lawmaker had to go through the rally to cast their vote in parliament.

On the interviewer’s question of creating a situation, he said: “That’s why I am saying that the [opposition] should take back the no-confidence motion.”

Jang, Geo boycott

To a query on the list of PTI lawmakers apparently disassociating with the PTI, he said the leaders named in the news story had contacted the reporter who allegedly said that he had not reported it.

“Unfortunately, it was a difficult decision to boycott Jang and Geo and we did not want to do it. It has become a representative of the PML-N and these sorts of stories are cooked up. Previously, they had written a story quoting me and on this, I have asked Pemra to sent notice to them,” Fawad said.

The information minister alleged that making fake news and such actions did not suit such a big group.

He further alleged that a few media groups – including Jang and Geo – was never with the ruling party and many people does not accept Imran Khan as the premier. “Many people fear the government’s accountability drive.”

Moreover, he admitted that the government was not able to recover the opposition leaders’ apparent offshore money. He expressed his intention to ask NAB to open the “volume 10 in the court.

Need for local government system

The information minister was of the view that the country’s existing system cannot deliver because of the non-registration of local governments and a large amount goes to the province.

“The chief ministers have become more powerful than the prime minister,” he said and stressed the need for having a strong local government and ending such an anomaly. “Except me and PM Imran, no one favours local government system.”

Fawad also admitted that the local government elections should have been held in the first year of their government, terming it one of the three major mistakes of the PTI-led government.

Furthermore, he suggested the need for merging NAB and the FIA to take the corruption cases under their domain and their voter was not in favour of such a development. "NAB is not under our control."

He dismissed any perception about the premier imposing any emergency to handle the situation, saying that the power to declare such a situation has been very limited after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.