LAHORE - Following a final round of negotiations held between the coalition partners, the PTI on Monday finally succeeded in winning over PML-Q’s support to save its governments in Punjab and the Centre.

Sources privy to the meeting disclosed that as a result of the successful negotiations, the government has accepted governing rights of the PML-Q in the three districts considered to be its political base.

Besides, development schemes will be executed in the provincial and national constituencies held by the PML-Q lawmakers.

The government has also pledged to take the PML-Q leadership into confidence over important policy decisions and issues of public concern.

As the negotiation teams came out and talked to the media, it was politically sold as a win-win-situation for both sides.

But given the tricky nature of issues afflicting their relationship for the last one-and-half year, one may hear grumbles at some later stage when the power-sharing formula goes through its implementation phase.

At the outset, things have started moving in the right direction, but devil is in details, as they say.

As per details, government has agreed to grant full autonomy to the PML-Q Ministers in the federal as wells Punjab Cabinet.

According to the agreement, the government will consult the PML-Q Ministers before removing the senior officers from the departments headed by them.

Likewise, the government will be bound to transfer the officers creating hurdles in the work of PML-Q Ministers. 

Also, it has been agreed that the PML-Q would hold sway in the districts of Gujrat, Chakwal and Bahawalnagar.

Under the agreement, government will post officers of PML-Q’s choice in these districts but it will have the right to transfer any of the officers on any complaint in consultation with the PML-Q leadership.

For new postings of administrative heads in these districts, the Punjab government will give four names for each post and the PML-Q will have to pick one name.  

Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Federal Ministers-Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mahmood and Asad Umar formed the government’s team which took part in the negotiations with the PML-Q leadership.

Ch Parvez Elahi, Moonis Elahi, Ch Salik Hussain, Tariq Bashir Cheema and Kamil Ali Agha represented the PML-Q side.

The meeting took place at the residence of Ch Parvez Elahi on Monday afternoon.

The two allies will also hold another round of talks in Islamabad in couple of days to set the modalities for implementation of the agreement  

For smooth execution of the power-sharing deal, Parvez Khattak and Asad Umar have been entrusted with the responsibility of removing difficulties in respect of matters concerning the federal government.

Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar will do the same at the provincial level.  

Also, prior to the main meeting, an important meeting of government’s negotiation team was held at the CM office to do the homework.

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Federal Defence Minister Parvez Khattak, Federal Minister Planning & Development Asad Umar and Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood attended the meeting.

Punjab Chief Secretary Azam Suleman and Punjab IGP Shoaib Dastgir were also part of this meeting.

The meeting agreed to improve the working relationship with the PML-Q and further decided to continue the consultation process with it.

The government team reiterated the commitment to continue working with the allied party at every level.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that the government was jointly working with PML-Q and would continue to do so. Necessary steps will be taken to improve the working relationship with the allied party, he added.

He emphasised that those creating misconceptions would get nothing but frustration.

Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar said that relations with the PML-Q will be further improved,adding, that this alliance will continue in the larger interest of the country. Defence Minister Parvez Khattak said that conspirators will be disappointed.

“We and allies are one and would remain so. Our relationship will be further strengthened in future”, he added.

Federal P&D Minister Asad Umer announced to jointly solve the public problems and added that all matters will be solved amicably with the allies.

The reservations of the PML-Q will be removed and cooperation will continue, he said.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Parvez Elahi said that coalition will remain intact. 

“We will face every situation together and try to fix the problems through mutual consultation”, he said, adding, that his party wanted to see the promised “change” during the tenure of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He also said that he had no doubts about the integrity, intentions and struggle of Imran Khan.

Parvez Elahi also expressed his desire to participate in the next elections alongwith the PTI after solving problems facing the people.

Defence Minister Parvez Khattak in his media talk downplayed the alleged differences between the PTI and the PML-Q as he termed them small and of trivial nature.

He also believed they were blown out of proportion.

He said that the two parties would continue to work as partners as before.

Khattak also declared that none of the government allies was leaving the government.

He, however, admitted that there were some issues that have been resolved after Monday’s meeting.

He said that government will take all the major decisions in consultation with the allies.

Khattak said that small issues may crop up again but they would be resolved through consultation.

He sounded optimistic that present coalition will jointly contest the next general elections.