ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Pervez Khattak has criticized Prime Minister Imran Khan during the parliamentary party meeting of the PTI and its allies before a key vote on the mini-budget on Thursday.
The altercation stemmed from the issue of the gas shortage in Pakistan especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Khattak also staged a walkout from the parliamentary party meeting.
The prime minister later invited Khattak in his chamber and after leaving the chamber Khattak said that he only discussed gas shortage in the meeting, but the media outlets had made a mountain out of a molehill.
At the parliamentary party meeting, Pervez Khattak first exchanged words with Energy Minister Hammad Azhar and walked out of the meeting in protest.
The PM sent Ali Zaidi and Murad Saeed to bring Khattak back, but after coming back Khattak had an exchange with Imran Khan too.
The defence minister said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province produced electricity and gas but was still facing a shortage. “It is us who got you elected as prime minister,” he reportedly told Imran Khan.
Imran Khan hit back by saying he would not be blackmailed. “If you continued the blackmail me in front of everyone, I would invite the opposition to come and rule the country,” Khan reportedly said.
Khattak said he and other leaders like him had to face voters and if the technocrats did not change their behavior, people would not vote for the PTI.
He also criticized Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, telling him that he was not a representative elected by a popular vote. “We come through people’s vote and we are answerable to them.”
Speaking to journalists outside the meeting room, Khattak denied that he had an altercation with “anyone”. However, he did say that he demanded his rights. “I only talked about my rights.”
Khattak said he left the meeting to smoke a cigarette.
Read more: overnment proves majority of 18 members in NA; got Mini-budget approved
