'Strategy to dissolve Punjab Assembly completed': Moonis says PDM cannot stop early polls

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Moonis Elahi said on Tuesday that the "strategy to dissolve Punjab Assembly was completed" in a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan, adding that "no matter how hard the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) tries, it cannot stop early elections."

In a Twitter post, the son of Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said: "Imran Khan will win the next election."

For weeks, PML-Q leadership has tried to reassure Imran Khan that the party stands by the promise it made with the PTI regarding the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.

"It will be done when Imran Khan wants it to happen," Moonis had said earlier.

Moonis' latest statement, indicating his party's support for Imran Khan, comes a day after the PDM submitted a no-confidence motion against Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

Last week, PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced that his governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will dissolve their assemblies on December 23 (Friday).

The no-confidence motion was submitted by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly Secretariat.

Separately, a no-trust motion has also been submitted against PA Speaker Sibtain Khan under Article 53 of the Constitution.

Last month, addressing thousands of supporters in his first public appearance since being shot in an assassination attempt, Imran said that it was better to quit assemblies than “be a part of a corrupt system”.

“We will not be part of this system. We have decided to quit all the assemblies and get out of this corrupt system,” said Imran.

Imran has campaigned for snap polls since being ousted from power in a parliamentary vote in April, which has seen heightened political uncertainty in the South Asian nation even as it struggles to stave off financial default.

For months, the federal government under PM Shehbaz has maintained that the next general elections will be held on time.

Punjab, controlled by Imran's PTI party, is the country's most populous province and makes up nearly half of the country's population of 220 million.

Historically, polls for the federal and provincial governments are held at the same time in a general election every five years.

If the two provincial assemblies are dissolved earlier, separate polls would have to be held for them within 90 days, which could throw up legal problems.

PTI, PML-Q agree on seat adjustment

Meanwhile, former information minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry has that the first round of talks between PML-Q and PTI on seat adjustment in the upcoming elections has been completed, Aaj News reported.

“Both parties are on the same page on the matter of seat adjustment in the next elections. The list of constituencies will be discussed in the next session scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday)," Fawad said in a tweet.

Earlier today, the PTI and the PML-Q had called a joint session to negotiate seat adjustment ahead of a no-confidence motion against Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Parvez Elahi.

The PTI was represented by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, and Pervaiz Khattak while CM Elahi, Moonis Elahi, and Muhammad Khan Bhatti represented PML-Q. The session was called at CM Elahi’s residence.

As per reports, the PML-Q had demanded seat adjustments in more than two dozen constituencies with the PTI before the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.