ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan faced an awkward situation during a meeting of the parliamentary party of the ruling alliance when no other than Defence Minister Pervez Khattak raised his concern about gas and electricity crisis Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) because of the negligence of the Centre.
The prime minister felt embarrassed and he snubbed Khattak for what he PM called “blackmailing” by Defence Minister before the PTI MNAs and allies.
PM Imran Khan was chairing the parliamentary party meeting of the government at the Parliament House on Thursday evening (Jan13) to muster support of MNAs for the approval of Supplementary Finance Bill-2022, being called a mini-budget.
After the meeting, PM Khan remained in his chamber for the whole day and met different MNAs belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and other parties in the ruling coalition.
The defence minister Pervaiz Khattak said in the meeting that he would not vote for the prime minister if new gas connections were not given to the people of KP.
Khattak also stated that the PTI elected representatives were not in a position to go to their constituencies because of wrong policies of the government.
However, as the PM-Khattak arguments hit the limelight in the electronic media, Khattak realised his mistake and he told media representatives after the meeting that he neither harshly talked to the prime minister Imran Khan not hurled any threat of not voting for PM in future.
He, nonetheless, said the KP province was being neglected in terms of provision of electricity and gas while other provinces were enjoying these facilities in this winter season. They said the defence minister told the prime minister that if the situation lingered on, the people of KP would not vote for the PTI.
Interestingly, the opposition leaders have welcomed the exchange of arguments between PM and Defence Minister saying that it was just beginning of crisis within the PTI government because of wrong policies, very bad governance, energy crisis and rising prices of petroleum, electricity, gas and other essential consumer items.
