Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday took a dig at the establishment, claiming that the “neutrals” did not look neutral to him on the issue of vote of confidence for Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

Talking to senior reporter of republic policy at his Zaman Park residence, Imran alleged that efforts were afoot to bring the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to power in Punjab. However, he stressed that the PTI was preparing itself for the vote of confidence in the Punjab Assembly “if the court directs us” to do so.

“Our members are being approached,” Imran said, adding that three of them had told him. He then questioned “the neutrality of the neutrals”. He added that he was fully aware that the “establishment is doing political engineering and efforts are being made to bring the PML-N to power in Punjab”.

However, the PTI chairman parried a direct question whether he had full confidence in Chief Minister Elahi and that he did not believe that Elahi was not playing double game. “No doubt the PML-Quaid is PTI’s ally but Elahi has his own point of view about the establishment. He [Elahi] cannot ask PTI to back-peddle on its stance.”