The parliamentary party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday reportedly ended on a bad note after a heated discussion between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Defense Minister Pervaiz Khattak on the ongoing gas crisis in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The parliamentary party meeting took place ahead of a key vote on the mini-budget. During the meeting, Khattak reportedly first exchanged words with Energy Minister Hammad Azhar and walked out of the meeting in protest. The prime minister sent Ali Zaidi and Murad Saeed to bring Khattak back, but after coming back, Khattak had an exchange with Imran Khan too.
Addressing the prime minister, Khattak reportedly said: “We have made you the prime minister. There is a ban on gas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said, adding that despite producing gas and electricity, the KP people were being oppressed. “If this is your attitude, then we will not be able to vote,” Khattak added, reports said quoting sources.
Imran Khan hit back saying he would not be blackmailed. “If you continued the blackmail in front of everyone, I will invite the opposition to come and rule the country,” Khan reportedly said. Speaking in his defence, Khattak said he and other leaders like him had to face voters and if technocrats did not change their behaviour, then people would not vote for the PTI. He also criticised Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, telling him that he was not a representative elected by a popular vote. “We come through the people’s vote and we are answerable to them.”
However, speaking to journalists outside the meeting room, Khattak denied that he had an altercation with anyone. Khattak said he left the meeting for smoking. “I only talked about my rights.” The defence minister said he was surprised at the media reports suggesting as if he had kicked up a storm. He rejected the reports that he had threatened to vote against the party. “Imran Khan is my leader and I cannot think against him,” he said. However, the defence minister confirmed his exchange with Azhar on the gas issue.
Answering a question after a separate meeting with the premier, Khattak said: “I have hundred per cent trust in PM Imran Khan; we only discussed some issues in the meeting.” “I didn’t say anything along the lines of not voting for PM Imran Khan again,” Khattak said. He said during the meeting, he only raised questions about the gas issue in KP. He requested the media to stop making a mountain out of a molehill and said it was their internal matter.
Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak and MNAs Muhammad Iqbal Afridi and Muhammad Afzal Khan called on Prime Minister Imran Khan.
