Two sacked provincial ministers Atif Khan and Shahram Tarakai on Wednesday offered unconditional apology to Prime Minister Imran Khan for allegedly plotting to bring a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehmood Khan. The sources privy to the development told Business Recorder that both the sacked ministers offered unconditional apology to the Prime Minister and left themselves at his mercy for their alleged involvement in lobbying against the CM.
The meeting took place in a friendly environment as in a video clip, the duo is seen a little embarrassed but smiling during meeting with the Prime Minister.
The sources said that the Prime Minister made it crystal clear to both the sacked ministers that he never expected anything like this from them, especially Atif Khan who has been his hot favorite for quite long.
The PM told them that everybody - whether he/she is a minister or an MPA - will have to follow party discipline and if anyone is found involved in deviating from party discipline, he/she will have to go home.
Both the sacked ministers assured the Prime Minister that they would come up to his expectations and would not hesitate to "follow his instructions as they are his foot soldiers."
According to sources, they also wanted to complain against the chief minister and defense minister Pervez Khattak but had to stay silent as the premier kept schooling them for the 'blunder' they had committed by attempting to make a revolt against the CM.
They said the duo might be re-inducted in the Mehmood Khan administration as the Prime Minister plainly told them not to indulge in grouping within the party and instead work harder to give relief to the masses.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, the sacked ministers said, "We all have to follow the party discipline as there is no second opinion about it." "We're ready to offer our services in whatever capacity the party wants us to do," said Atif Khan while answering a question about their re-induction into the cabinet of CM Mehmood Khan.
Meanwhile, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Kaleem Imam met the Prime Minister and briefed him regarding the law and order in the province. On Monday, after days of controversy over the appointment of the Sindh's top cop, the Centre and the Sindh government agreed to transfer IGP Imam, and appoint another police chief to replace him.
The decision was made during a meeting between the Prime Minister and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the Governor's House in Karachi. During the meeting, which was also attended by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, it was also agreed to appoint the new police chief from the panel of five names sent by the Sindh government to the Establishment Division last week.
The list of senior police officials being considered for the coveted post includes Kamran Fazal, Mushtaq Mahar, Inam Ghani, Ghulam Qadir Thebo and Sanaullah Abbasi. "The confrontation between the political government and police chief in any province will not yield good results, therefore we should consider whatever the Sindh government has recommended," official sources quoted the Prime Minister as saying, adding that the issue of the appointment of the new police chief would be resolved soon.