LAHORE: The situation in the Punjab, Pakistan’s heartland and most populous province, remains precipitious over the deadlock between provincial government and the opposition regarding the future of the Punjab Assembly. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its aally Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) want to dissolve the assembly, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which is in power at the Centre, are actively trying to dissuade the Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi from dissolving it.
The PML-N have called a parliamentary party meeting in the Punjab Assembly Monday (today) to consider moving a motion of no confidence against the Punjab chief minister. Hamza Shehbaz, who was the Punjab chief minister for a short period, presided over the meeting.
PTI chief PTI Chairman Imran Khan, during a public gathering in Rawalpindi on Saturday, said that he would dissolve the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies as he continues to lead a nationwide campaign for early elections.
Sources say that the PML-N parliamentary party discussed various legal aspects, including bringing a no-confidence motion against Elahi. The meeting also considered taking a vote of confidence from the Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman.
As things stand, PTI has 178 seats in the Punjab Assembly, with its ally PML-Q having ten seats. This puts it beyond the 186 seats required for a simple majority in the 371-seat Punjab Assembly.
Sources say that PML-N will also consult its allies about the change of government in Punjab. In case of vote of no confidence and vote of confidence, the PML-N does not have the numbers. If a motion of no-confidence is moved, it will only be for the purpose of preventing the dissolution of the Assembly. Th meeting also considered asking members to stay absent on the day to make a no-confidence motion successful or to defeat a vote of confidence.
If five members of the government are absent during the no-confidence or trust vote, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will not remain the chief minister.
Meanwhile, one of the main obstacles to the dissolution is the ongoing session of the Punjab Assembly. It warrants mention that the Punjab Assembly has technically been in continuous session for several months. The opposition cannot move a no-confidence motion while the current session is going on.
On the other hand, if the Assembly is in session, the Punjab CM cannot suggest its dissolution.
The current ongoing session of the Punjab Assembly was called by the speaker and the speaker can announce the end of the session whenever he wants. As soon as the session ends, the chief minister will recommend the dissolution of the Assembly. According to the constitution, the Assembly will be dissolved within 48 hours of this recommendation.
The majority party in Punjab, the PTI, and its ally PML-Q would consider the legal and political aspects in Monday’s (today) meeting.
Punjab government spokesperson Mussarat Jamshed Cheema says that the decision to quit the provincial governments was final. “Imran Khan will chair a meeting of senior leaders today in which the specifics of quitting the assemblies would be determined,” he said.
Cheema says the consultation would be on whether to resign or dissolve the assemblies. “A meeting of the parliamentary parties of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be called in a day or two,” he added.
Following Imran’s announcement to dissolve provincial assemblies, the opposition parties have also become active in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There are indications that a motion of no confidence could be moved against KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan as well.
