LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 24th Dec, 2022 ) :Federal Minister for Interior and PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said that it was constitutional and legal obligation of the Governor Punjab to ask Chief Minister Punjab for taking vote of confidence before dissolving the provincial assembly as the CM apparently lost majority in the Punjab Assembly.
Addressing a press conference along with Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique, Federal Minister for food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar and PML-N leader Azma Bukhari at Model Town, he said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had claimed that it would dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtun Khuwah and would also ask the Speaker National Assembly to accept the resignations of PTI members, adding that Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi himself admitted that 99 percent of MPAs did not want dissolution of Punjab Assembly.
Rana Sanaullah questioned that how could the Punjab chief minister sign and forward the dissolution summary of provincial assembly as it was a sheer violation of the Constitution so the Governor Punjab having the Constitutional authority asked the Chief Minister to take vote of confidence.
The Minister said that Speaker Punjab Assembly despite the Governor‘s directions did not convene the session of the assembly as the PTI leadership knew that they did not have simple majority in the House.
Rana Sanaullah said that the Chief Minister Punjab got ultimate relief by the Lahore High Courtadding that after getting relief from the courtChaudhry Parvez Elahi government started to plunder national exchequer as it launched a recent project to loot billions of rupees. Now, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi would allow his party members to earn millions of rupees from various developmental contracts so that ‘horse trading’ could become possible, he maintained.
He said that it was a demand of the PML-N and all its allies that the Supreme Court of Pakistan should interfere and take Sou Moto notice of the situation for saving Punjab from being plundered and also limit the Punjab Chief Minister to day to day affairs as it would not be fair with people of Punjab If Chaudhry Parvez Elahi led government would be given full authority on a stay order.
The minister said that if Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was confident enough of having majority, he could take vote of confidence and end this state of confusion, adding that “They do not have numbers that is why they are escaping from vote of confidence”. Why the PTI did not dissolve the KPK Assemblyhe questioned.
Rana Sanaullah said that PTI wanted to create unrest and instability but the Pakistan Democratic Movement led governmentin the best interest of people and setting aside its political interests, had decided to come into power for putting the country on way to progress and prosperity.
The government was putting efforts day and night to steer the country out of crises, he asserted.
To a question, he said that the assemblies should complete its constitutional tenure, adding that “If Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Ellahi takes vote of confidence and after which dissolves Punjab Assemblythe by-election will take place in Punjab“. He said that the PML-N had started campaign pertaining to the by-elections in case of dissolution of Punjab Assembly.
Addressing on the occasion, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led coalition government has pulled out the country from challenging situation, adding that the PTI tried every tactics to derail the development process as an audio leak of Shaukat Tareen exposed the nefarious designs of PTI.
He said that it was stance of the PML-N and its allies that the general elections should be held on time as it was not a child’s play to form or dissolve the assemblies. Khwaja Saad Rafique said that Governor Punjab on basis of current political situation asked the Chief Minister Punjab to take vote of confidence but the Chief Minister refused to do so on which the Governor Punjab fulfilled his constitutional responsibility and denotified him.
Chaudhry Parvez Elahi did not have majority in the House but now he would try to indulge in “Horse Trading” to ensure his majority, he said and added that Chaudhry Parvez Elahi had to take vote of confidence even after 18 days if not today. “We along with our allies may challenge the LHC’s decision about restoration of CM and cabinet“, he maintained.
Khwaja Saad Rafique said that PTI chief Imran Khan had not given any ultimatum if he was serious about dissolution of provincial assemblies, adding that this Punjab government could not spent billions of rupees in name of development projects as it only existed on stay order.
To a query, the minister said that the PDM alliance did not tried to destabilize the Punjab, KPK and Gilgil Baltistan governments as the PDM government was only putting effort to cope with challenges including rehabilitation of flood affected people, economic revival and a number of other issues but Imran Khan always tried to create instability in country.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema said that Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid President Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain also agreed that peoples’ mandate should not be taken for granted, adding that PTI‘s MPAs also wished that the assemblies should not be dissolved as they should be given constitutional tenure.
He said that coalition government has taken crucial decisions for betterment of country and masses, adding that more positive decisions would also be taken for welfare of the masses.
