Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is likely to reshuffle his cabinet on Tuesday, to relieve the PPP ministers. Sources in the PML-N told Business Recorder on Saturday that the party has decided to reshuffle Punjab cabinet after expiry of the deadline given to the Prime Minister.
The PML-N has given Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani three days' ultimatum to act on demands, including removing the corrupt and conduct probe into corruption scandals, implement the decisions of the apex court and withdraw hike in petroleum products prices, otherwise it would part ways with PPP in Punjab government. The deadline of the PML-N will end at midday on Monday. Sources said that it is possible that the members of 'unification bloc' may be included in the cabinet.
About floor crossing, they said that the case filed by PML-Q is already in the Lahore High Court. They said that Atta Muhammad Maneka of 'unification bloc' has also submitted an application in the LHC in which he stated that they are in more strength and have their parliamentary leader and they do not accept Shujaat Hussain as party leader.
Sources said that the Punjab Chief Minister would include some 'unification bloc' members in the cabinet, for the time being, and after LHC's judgement he would follow it in letter and spirit. Leader of 'unification bloc' of PML-Q Atta Muhammad told Business Recorder that they have given proposal to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to get rid of PPP in Punjab every now and then, "as we do not want occupation of PPP in Punjab".
"It is simple for Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to drop the PPP ministers from his cabinet by reshuffling." he added. He said that PPP can not form government in Punjab because neither it has sufficient strength nor support of all members of PML-Q. He said that 'unification bloc' would not support PPP in Punjab at any cost. "We have shown loyalty to PML-N in difficult times when Asif Ali Zaradri had imposed governor rule in Punjab", he said. On the other hand, PPP Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar said that his party does not hesitate to sit on opposition benches in Punjab.