PML-Q only popular in a few districts of Punjab, claims Planning Minister Asad Umar

• Asad Umar says PTI bagged most votes from Punjab, Sindh, KP and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2018 general election.
• Declares PML-Q party of only few districts of Punjab.
• Umar says Pakistan needs PM Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Monday claimed that PML-Q is popular in only a few districts of Punjab, while PML-N is a party of GT Road and PPP is the party of interior parts of Sindh.

The planning minister claimed that the ruling PTI is the most popular party in the country as it was the one to bag the most votes in the 2018 General Elections.

"Whereas PTI bagged the most votes from the urban areas of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan," Umar said while addressing the Pakistan Overseas Conference on Monday.

Umar said that the overseas Pakistanis are an asset to the country.

"We need to unite to keep the country strong," Umar said.

Speaking about the current political situation, the minister said that the country is undergoing various internal challenges and Pakistanis have to face them in these hard times.

"PTI doesn't want a fight with anyone [...] Prime Minister Imran Khan is the need of Pakistan," Umar said, adding that the Opposition's no-trust motion will fail.

He went on to say that all the institutions of Pakistan are working together after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan.

Sharing his two cents on the recent violation of Pakistan's airspace by India, Umar said:

"India has always tried to take Pakistan under pressure. Pakistan came into existence after sacrifices and [we] are ready to sacrifice more for it."

He said that Pakistan has proved that it can face any hardship together.

Umar is the second federal minister to criticise the incumbent government's ally PML-Q as the party is yet to decide who it will support in the no-confidence motion.  

Last week, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed 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.