PTI defers Punjab assembly dissolution decision

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (PTI) has deferred the decision to dissolve the Punjab Assembly till the outcome of Lahore High Court (IHC) decision on Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi’s de-notification case.

On December 23, the LHC had restored the Punjab Chief after Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman denotified him for failing to take a vote of confidence from the Punjab Assembly.

However, after hearing arguments of the Punjab government and others, the LHC suspended the notification following Elahi’s undertaking he would not dissolve the Assembly before the next hearing.

As per the sources, PTI Chairman Imran Khan during a meeting with the senior party leaders here on Saturday said that the Punjab Chief Minister’s vote of confidence was subject to the court’s decision; however, he asked them to be prepared for it as if the court says they would take the vote of confidence. He assured them that they would not face any problem if they had to take the vote of confidence at any time.

The former prime minister held a meeting with the provincial ministers to discuss the future strategy of Punjab and the current political situation including the vote of confidence, dissolution of the Punjab Assembly and preparation for the next general elections.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan, Deputy Speaker Wasiq Abbasi, former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, and the provincial ministers including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mohsin Leghari and Raja Basharat attended the meeting.

On this occasion, the PTI chief further said that there were no two opinions on the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly; “it would take place soon after the vote of confidence was taken. In this connection, the decision will be taken in a party meeting”.

“Soon after the dissolution of the assembly, we will go to the people for elections,” he added.

He asked the ministers to remain in contact with the provincial legislators. Moreover, the party leaders were given the responsibility to prepare for the elections in their respective constituencies and divisions.

Khan averred that he would not allow the ‘imported’ rulers to run away from the elections, claiming that after Islamabad, ‘conspirators’ were trying to run away from the local government elections in Karachi. “They are well aware of the reality that the people have completely rejected them,” he added.

He reiterated that only fresh elections would solve the country’s ongoing problems; “only a government with a public mandate could overcome the current crisis”.

Meanwhile, Spokesperson to CM and Punjab government Musarrat Jamsheed Cheema in a statement said that the children of corrupt gangs were getting acquitted by the courts; “the decision of our country’s destiny should be made by the power of public mandate instead of the corrupt mafia”.

Critical of the judgement to restore the assets of Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, she alleged that the ‘thieves’ were being acquitted of all charges of corruption by giving them NRO-2.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023