The PTI leadership on Monday expressed its willingness to offer the Punjab chief minister slot to their key coalition partner the PML-Q, moments after the opposition submitted a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in the Punjab Assembly, Aaj News reported citing sources.
The ruling party delegation, which has been tasked to woo the allied party in the no-trust move against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly, has made the offer during a meeting with the PML-Q leadership in Islamabad.
Sources said the government asked the coalition partner to support the government as it has in the past and sought support in the no-confidence motion. PM Imran was ready to give the Punjab chief executive position to PML-Q.
However, sources also added that the Q-league has so far not given any final response on the proposal.
The offer comes as at least 119 lawmakers – including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party MPAs –signed the document of no-trust motion against the chief minister in the Punjab Assembly Secretariat.
“Majority of the House does not have confidence in [Punjab] Chief Minister Usman Buzdar as he is not running the affairs of the province according to the Constitution. He has smashed the democratic norms in Punjab owing to the ongoing situation in the country. Therefore this House has expressed no-confidence against the chief minister,” read the document submitted in the Assembly Secretariat, a copy of which is available with Aaj Digital.
The PML-N leadership had on Sunday called on the PML-Q leaders in the federal capital and sought its support. However, the allied party asked for more time to consider the opposition's offer.
“We will try to come out with our decision in a day or two,” PML-Q leader Tariq Bashir Cheema said while talking to reporters after a meeting of the PML-N delegation with PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Cheema, who is the federal minister for housing and works, cited that they have some issues like other coalition partners have.
