ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday claimed that his statement that “parties having five seats are blackmailing the government for chief minister-ship in Punjab” was not directed towards Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), a key ally of ruling PTI in Centre and Punjab.

The clarification from the minister came after Moonis Elahi of PML-Q strongly reacted to his statement, saying “it was my elders who used to give money to Sheikh when he was a student”.

The interior minister, while speaking at an event organised by the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries, revisited the topic and denied taking a dig at the PML-Q in particular and acknowledge that the party had done him favours back in the day.

“I neither named the Q League nor the Chaudhrys...I only said it in general,” he said, adding, “The problem is that when I say something it goes against me, and it gets airtime the full 24 hours”.

“Shujaat is my brother. May Allah bless him with good health...I’ll never speak against him”, he added.

However, he did say that the true test of a friend comes during trying times.

Soon after the clarification by the minister, Moonis Elahi took to twitter and said: “Thank you Sheikh Rasheed for the clarification. I also respect you the way you are respecting my elders”.

Meanwhile, Rashid said that NA Speaker Asad Qaiser would call a session of the lower house on the joint opposition’s no-confidence resolution against the premier after March 15.

The opposition submitted the resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday and also requisitioned a session of the NA.

After the lower house is in session, the rules of procedure dictate that the secretary will circulate a notice for a no-confidence resolution, which will be moved on the next working day.

“The speaker has to decide when to call the session. He will decide after the 15th [since] there is the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) conference on the 21st and 22nd [of March],” he added.

To a question, he elaborated that it was the speaker’s job and power to call an NA session and his decision couldn’t be challenged in any court.

“Whatever decision the speaker takes will be a legal and constitutional one,” he added.

The minister said that the opposition had the complete right to make a no-trust move, but he warned that the country should not be forced towards anarchy.

In an obvious reference to the militant wing of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal’s (JUI-F) Ansarul Islam, the minister warned that any march by any private militia towards Islamabad would be trampled.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022