By: Asem Mustafa Awan
After the no-confidence motion submitted by Pakistan Democratic Alliance against Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the political pundits are gauging the pulse of ongoing battle between PDM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Governor Punjab Balighur Rehman has written a letter to Chief Minister Punjab asking him to take a vote of confidence from the Assembly. The Punjab government is considered a major obstacle in the way of PDM’s political dominance. In order to remove this obstacle, a minority government of Muslim League-N was formed in April-May 2022 after the Usman Buzdar government was sent home by a no-confidence motion.
Tehreek-e-Insaf MPs switched sides to form Hamza Shehbaz’s government. Those involved in voting for Hamza were later disqualified in a court ruling and the by-elections on their vacant seats were again won by the PTI.
Speaker Punjab Assembly Sibtain Khan has declared the letter of calling the meeting of the Provincial Assembly by the Governor of Punjab as illegal. While refusing to issue the gazette notification of the meeting, Speaker Punjab Assembly has submitted that the meeting of the assembly is already in progress, therefore a new meeting cannot be called on the advice of the governor.
According to the Punjab Governor, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has lost the confidence of the majority of the House, therefore, under Article 130(7) of the Constitution, he is calling a meeting of the Punjab Assembly on December 21 (Wednesday) at 4 pm.
PDM is collecting its cards in the no-confidence motion. On the request of the Muslim League-N, the Lahore High Court has given a decision to suspend the participation of the 18 members of the Assembly of the PML-N, who were deprived of attendance in 15 meetings as a punishment by the Speaker for rioting and vandalism.
The Muslim League-N’s lawyer made a point before the Supreme Court that these 18 members have to exercise their right to vote during the no-confidence motion on December 21, so they should be allowed to attend the meeting. After the court verdict, PML-N’s focus has shifted to persuade PML-Q members and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to end his alliance with Imran Khan. In case Chaudhry Pervez Elahi continues to support Imran Khan, the PDM leaders have arranged plan B.
Consultations are going on between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and other senior leaders of PDM. Most of the consultations are being done with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his son Chaudhry Salik Hussain. Since Chaudhry Shujaat is the head of Muslim League-Q and the brother of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, PDM wants to achieve its goals through him.
If the parliamentary party of PML-Q in Punjab Assembly maintains its decision to maintain alliance with PTI, then the attempt of PML-N to pass the no-confidence motion will fail. This movement can be made successful only when the members are bought and sold, their loyalties are switched.
PML-N says that they want to save the assembly from dissolution. The PDM fears that if the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies are dissolved, new general elections will have to be held in the country.
