Some PTI icons want Fawad's removal as minister.

Byline: Imran Mukhtar

ISLAMABAD -- Some senior members of Prime Minister Imran Khan's cabinet have pushed for removal of Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry for his statement about infighting and grouping within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the sources confided to The Nation yesterday.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Planning Minister Asad Umar held a meeting with PM Imran Khan, the other day, and asked for a disciplinary action against the federal minister for science and technology, the official sources added.

Both the ministers as well as senior leaders of the ruling party took the stance that Chaudhry has tried to give an impression as if they were responsible for the alleged failures of the government. They said that an effort has been made to shift the blame on them for not implementing the much-talked about reforms agenda of PTI.

In the meeting, they demanded that a strong message should be given, by taking an action against Chaudhry, to those who would violate the party discipline in future by making controversial statements in public. They said that if an action was not taken against the minister, it will give a message of laxity. The PM listened to both the ministers but avoided to take any step against Chaudhry.

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The two ministers also clarified their position by saying that they neither conspired against party leader Jahangir Khan Tareen nor became part of any bickering within the party.

Earlier this week, Chaudhry who is known for his bold and controversial remarks, had admitted in an interview to a US media outlet that internal rifts within the PTI's top leadership caused damage to the party's reforms agenda. He had regretted...