Elahi slams Rasheed after 'blackmail' jibe

QUETTA: As the political tensions in the country are on the rise following the Opposition's no-confidence move, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed and Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi came face-to-face on Saturday.

The development came after the interior minister told journalists in Quetta that he isn't among those allies who "blackmail" Prime Minister Imran Khan for getting the top slot in Punjab.

"I am not like those who have five seats and blackmail the premier to assume the chief minister's office," the interior minister said in an apparent reference to PML-Q leaders — who have reportedly demanded to de-seat CM Punjab Usman Buzdar.

Rasheed said that in the face of the no-confidence motion, he would be standing firm "like a wall" to defend the prime minister. "I am not responsible for others."

The interior minister added that the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) was "fully" behind PM Imran Khan, as he warned the Opposition that if the law and order situation moves towards deterioration, the army could be called in for restoring peace.

Moois Elhai's response

The political activities have rapidly increased in the country, with the Opposition holding repeated meetings with government allies to support their no-trust motion. Meanwhile, the PTI is wooing its allies in a bid to foil the no-confidence motion.

Although the PML-Q — an ally of the PTI in Punjab and the Centre — has not announced its decision of supporting the government yet, Rasheed's statement today drew ire from a party leader.

In a statement, Elahi said he respected the interior minister but asked Rasheed not to forget his past.

"Sheikh Rasheed might have forgotten that the leaders of [PML-Q] today are the ones who used to give money to him while he was a student," the federal minister added.

BAP responds

In response to the interior minister's comments, BAP President Jam Kamal Khan said: "Balochistan Awami Party takes its own decision, not Sheikh Rashid."