Final date will be given within three days regarding dissolution of provincial assemblies: Fawad Chaudhry
Says Punjab & KP assemblies will be dissolved after Friday’s meeting
LAHORE ( Web News )
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former federal minister for information and broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said that the final date will be given within three days regarding the dissolution of the provincial assemblies.
While talking to the media to speak on the matter of dissolution of the provincial assemblies, Fawad Chaudhry said that a meeting of the PTI leadership was held in this matter, in which it was decided to dissolve the provincial assemblies. He said that the Punjab and KP assemblies will be dissolved after Friday’s meeting.
He said that the PTI chief will hold a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in this regard, adding that the ticketing process is about to start. The PTI stalwart added that the meeting also strongly condemned the arrest of Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati.
Expressing his confidence in PTI supporters, Fawad said that the party leadership is confident that the public will play their part to return the mandate to PTI.
Hitting out at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership, the former federal minister said that the PML-N should now pray that the PTI does not dissolve the assemblies.
Slamming the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Fawad advised the electoral watchdog to conduct the elections within a 90-day period instead of being a spokesperson for the PML-N.
Chaudhry said the PTI has kickstarted the process of allotting tickets to politicians, and as the party’s lawmakers resign from their respective assemblies, 563 seats from across the country will be vacated and elections will be held on them.
He said that the opposition will also be invited to hold consultations with the government in both provinces over the formation of the interim government.
Fawad Chaudhry said even if elections are held after seven to eight months, it won’t affect PTI due to its popularity, but the party wishes for political stability — which can only be achieved through early elections.
“Therefore, [Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif] should announce the date for general elections and dissolve the National Assembly. But if you don’t, then PTI will dissolve the assemblies wherever it rules.”
Fawad Chaudhry added that the PTI would announce the date of the Punjab and KP assemblies’ dissolution in the next two to three days.
Before Fawad Chaudhry’s announcement, CM Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi challenged the opposition to table a no-confidence motion against him as the latter began talks on its strategy to send the provincial government packing.
In a statement, the chief minister said PML-Q and PTI have a combined 191 lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly, and they are enough to defeat the opposition’s moves.
“When the assembly is in session, the voting on a no-confidence motion cannot take place. Similarly, a confidence vote cannot be held while the assembly is in session,” he said.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi added that the governor’s rule can also not be imposed while the assembly’s session is going on.
“I will dissolve the assembly whenever Imran Khan asks me to. I stand with PTI Chairman Imran Khan and I am all ready to dissolve the assembly on his orders.”
He added that the opposition is in minority and will remain there. “They do not have the guts to table the no-confidence motion. But if they still wish to, they can go ahead and table it.”
Earlier in a press conference on Monday, SAPM and PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar Advocate said that the coalition parties would adopt all the political and legal options to prevent the assemblies from dissolution.
He made the remarks following a PML-N parliamentary advisory committee meeting held with Hamza Shahbaz in the chair.
Referring to a plea filed by Hamza Shahbaz in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the election of PTI’s Sibtain Khan as Punjab Assembly speaker, he pleaded with the court to hear their case.
Ata Tarar said that PML-N would go to “its last extent” to save the Punjab Assembly from being dissolved no matter “which move it might need to resort to”.
“The options of a no-confidence motion and asking the governor to take a vote of confidence have been considered,” he said, adding that the PML-N would also consult its coalition partners.