Following the lifting of governors rule in Punjab, Governor Salmaan Taseer has convened the session of the provincial assembly on Wednesday (April 1) at 4pm. President Asif Ali Zardari had signed the advice moved by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani for the lifting of governors rule from the province.
Earlier, President Zardari had recommended lifting of governors rule in his address to the joint session of the Parliament while extending full support to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) in Punjab. The lifting of governors rule failed to stir the circles concerned because of the tense situation arising out of Manawan attack.
All kind of political activities were restricted to the visits to the city hospitals by the mainstream politicians from major parties. Shahbaz Sharif, who visited the injured of the incident at the Services Hospital, avoided to make any political comment while pointing out that the Manawan attack could be avoided by arresting the culprits of Liberty terrorist attack.
But vital developments in the provincial bureaucracy grabbed the attention of many when Shahbaz-chosen seven top notches of provincial administration were sent back to the Punjab by the Establishment Division. The political circles took it as return of Shahbaz regime to the Punjab. Many circles were found predicting about a possible stay order against disqualification of Shahbaz Sharif as chief minister.
The PML-N, however, has chalked out all possible strategies in Punjab. It has not only extended a cautious welcome to the lifting of governors rule but also decided to challenge the disqualification order in the apex court. There were also reports that PML-N may field Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa or Rana Sana Ullah as Punjab Chief Minister in case no immediate relief is granted by the Supreme Court to Shahbaz Sharif.
The PPP, on the other hand is in a fix like situation in Punjab. It has yet to decide whether it would restrict its role to opposition benches after extending vote of confidence to the PML-N leadership in post-governors rule scenario or join the PML-N government accordingly.
It may be noted that the PPP central leadership had hinted at keeping its option open for the time being. However, there were also reports that the party has decided to put Qasim Zia in the office of opposition leader in the Punjab assembly. Sources in the PML-Q meanwhile suggested that the PML-Q would boycott the Punjab assembly session as a protest on horse trading of its members by the PML-N.
The political analysts are predicting a storm in the political arena of Punjab ahead. According to them, it would be a Herculean task for both PPP and PML-N to support each other reciprocally in the centre and the Punjab. And, in case they decided to oppose each other on both places respectively, both the centre and the Punjab may repeat the mid-90s episode when they were at loggerheads.
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