No-confidence motion: Federal ministers, mutual friends trying to cajole Aleem Khan, say sources

• Sources say Aleem Khan would decide his political future if PML-Q and Tareen group sides with the Opposition.
• Say Fawad Chaudhry, Pervaiz Khattak, Amir Kayani making backdoor contacts with Aleem.
• Say Aleem Khan is waiting for Tareen group's final strategy for the major political decision.

LAHORE: As the pressure mounts on the PTI-led government in the Centre in light of the Opposition's no-confidence motion, several federal ministers and mutual friends have become active to gain the support of disgruntled PTI leader Aleem Khan, who recently joined Jahangir Khan Tareen group, sources said on Monday.

Aleem Khan joined Tareen's PTI faction with the aim to "save" the party after "loyalists were sidelined" following Prime Minister Imran Khan's rise to power.

Khan, addressing a press conference after a meeting at Tareen's residence, said if a no-confidence is moved against Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, then the group would decide a future course of action accordingly. 

Sources privy to the matter said that federal ministers including Fawad Chaudhry, Pervaiz Khattak and Amir Kayani are making backdoor contacts with the former Punjab senior minister and trying to address his reservations.

Meanwhile, Aleem Khan is waiting for Tareen group's final strategy for the major political decision, they added.

Sources said that Aleem Khan would decide his political future if PML-Q and Tareen group sides with the Opposition.

Aleem may reconcile with the government in case Tareen group allies with PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, they said.

Sources further stated that Aleem Khan will not attend today's meeting of the Tareen group. Instead, he is busy in planning his future strategy.

They said that the politician has not attended any meeting of the estranged group except for one and he wasn't able to meet Tareen on his visit to London. 

Aleem refuses to meet PM Imran: sources

The disgruntled PTI leader decided to part ways with his party and refused to meet PM Imran Khan before coming to London to hold talks with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Aleem — as confirmed by two different sources — sent a message to PM Khan that he was going to meet Nawaz in London.

Trusted sources had shared with Geo News that at least three high-powered delegations met the former Punjab minister prior to his arrival in London.

The government delegates tried to convince Aleem to meet PM Khan and find a way forward. They also told him that they were meeting him after taking the PM into confidence.

The ex-minister told them categorically that he was not interested in meeting the PM anymore "no matter what the price," said the source.

At the same time, Aleem was also meeting senior leaders of the PML-N and he held several meetings with Rana Sanaullah.

Hours before Aleem flew to London to meet Nawaz, Fawad, Khattak, and Punjab Governor Chaudhary Sarwar met Aleem with an offer to meet the PM and assured him that "all his demands will be accommodated."

Another high-powered meeting was held at the house of one of PM Imran Khan’s advisers. In this meeting, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and the adviser were present. They told Aleem they were meeting him after taking PM Imran Khan into confidence.