Unusual scenes were witnessed in the cabinet meeting.

ISLAMABAD -- Internal rifts within the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government surfaced again on Tuesday when Prime Minister Imran Khan had to intervene and stop federal ministers from hurling allegations against one another during the cabinet meeting.

Unusual scenes were witnessed in the cabinet meeting after one of the ministers raised the issue of federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry's interview to Voice of America (VOA) in which the latter said rifts among senior party leaders allowed non-elected members, who were unaware of PM's vision, to join the cabinet.

While Mr Fawad stuck to his remarks against non-elected members in the cabinet meeting, federal Minister for Water Resources lamented some senior party leaders' role in his outrage.

Insiders said Prime Minister Khan was angry at the interview and directed PTI leaders to avoid discussing internal party matters openly. 'Yes, the issue of Fawad Chaudhry's interview was discussed in the meeting and the prime minister expressed displeasure on it,' said Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz in a post-cabinet meeting press conference.

PM tells cabinet members not to discuss party's internal issues in public

Senator Faraz said PM Khan was of the opinion that party's internal issues should not be discussed at open forums.

Mr Fawad in his interview with VOA had discussed internal rifts within the party ranks and said PTI stalwarts managed to remove one another, as Jehangir Tareen was behind the removal of Asad Umar from the cabinet while the latter managed ousting of Mr Tareen. He said non-elected persons had replaced elected representatives in close circle of the prime minister, who were unaware of the basic aims and objectives of the party.

The issues of elected and non-elected cabinet members had already come in the media in the past when some party leaders at different forums had criticised the role of special assistants and advisers to the premier.

According to some media reports, federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar during the cabinet meeting complained to PM Khan that Mr Fawad had blamed him (Asad) for the removal of Mr Tareen from the party.

On this, Mr Fawad said if it was not true, then he (Asad) better tell the federal cabinet that he had no role in that.

Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda also complained to the Prime Minister about what he called 'interference' of some senior party leaders in his ministry. When...