PM invites allies for dinner tonight, to discuss approval of budget

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has invited coalition partners to a dinner on Sunday night (tonight) at his official residence to address reservations of political allies with regard to the budget, ARY News reported.

According to sources, the prime minister has stepped up efforts to convince the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), an estranged ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led ruling coalition.

The government has also initiated implementation of the agenda agreed with the BNP-M including six percent jobs for Balochistan in federal government departments to pacify the party, sources said.

The BNP-M, however, on Saturday refused to attend the dinner and the party’s chief has maintained that since the party was no longer a partner in the coalition there was no sense in attending the dinner.

The Prime Minister Office had invited BNP-P chief Akhtar Mengal and party leader Jahanzeb Jamaldini for the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), another coalition partner from the province, has decided to attend the dinner and extend support to the government for approval of the federal budget for Year 2020-21.

Federal ministers and PTI members would also attend the dinner.

It is to be mentioned here that Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, Federal Minister for Railways, would also absent from the dinner due to his ill health.

The PTI government unveiled its second budget on June 12 in the Parliament, which had the total outlay of Rs7,294.9 billion.