ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his close aides on Monday not to pass any remarks against coalition partners of the government.

Sources close to the premier told Dawn that Mr Khan gave the instructions after Planning Minister Asad Umar called major allies of the governm­ent — Pakistan Muslim Lea­g­ue-Q (PML-Q) and Mutta­hida Qaumi Movement (MQM) — as parties of some districts.

“The PML-Q is a party of some districts while the MQM is confined only to Karachi,” Mr Umar said.

Earlier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid had called PML-Q a party of some dist­r­icts, though he later backtr­a­cked and became apologetic.

Meanwhile, Foreign Mi­­ni­ster Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he had complete trust in all the government’s allies. “I have been constantly saying and will repeat it today that I, as a political worker, believe that all our allies are with us and my party and I have complete faith in them,” Mr Qureshi said.

“We believe they are very refined and honourable people. They have supported us at various points in these three years and we were, are and will remain thankful to them,” the minister told a presser in Islamabad.

He said he trusted the government’s allies as they fully understood the opposition’s tactics and the truth in their promises. “They are experienced politicians who won’t be easily fooled. To meet and listen to others is everyone’s right but they understand everything,” the PTI leader said.

Mr Qureshi said that the opposition would fail to win over the government’s allies.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2022