LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have expressed their resolve to play due role and use all legal options to save the provincial assembly of the Punjab from dissolution.

This understanding was reached during a meeting between the leadership of two parties at the PML-N Secretariat in which leaders of the two parties discussed the evolving political situation. The PPP delegation was headed by the party parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly Syed Hassan Murtaza while the PML-N was led by Hamza Shehbaz.

After holding another round of talks with the coalition partner PPP, PML-N’s Attaullah Tarrar told media that the opposition parties in Punjab will unfold their strategy in a day or two to counter PTI’s bid to dissolve the provincial assembly.

“We have proceeded with the process of consultation; all options including the vote of no-confidence were considered during this process of consultation,” he said. “There is anxiety among the members of Punjab Assembly and they are not in favour of dissolution of the assembly.”

He claimed that the PTI’s parliamentary party has split into different groups; there is opinion that the assemblies should complete the constitutional term. He disclosed that they have decided to speed up their contacts with the members of treasury benches in the Punjab Assembly.

It may be noted that the PML-N parliamentary party in Punjab has agreed to use all available legal options to foil the proposed plan of PTI Chief Imran Khan to have the provincial assembly dissolved. It is considering moving no-trust resolution, governor’s rule and seeking the vote of confidence from the CM.

Sources claimed that the PML-N was going to move the apex court for early hearing of review petition against the decision in Punjab CM’s election case. The SC had on July 26 annulled the ruling given by then Punjab Assembly deputy speaker Dost Mazari in the run-off election for the CM. On July 22, Mazari had rejected the votes of PML-Q MPAs in favour of Pervez Elahi during the CM’s election, citing a letter from PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain under Article 63A of the Constitution.

To a query, Tarar said they also exchanged views on tabling a no-trust motion in the Punjab Assembly and will use all options to stop PTI from dissolving the assembly. “If the Punjab Assembly is dissolved at the behest of Imran Khan, it will be unconstitutional,” he argued. He added that under the law, no member can be prevented from tabling a no-confidence motion or from voting on it.

PPP leader Hassan Murtaza said, “the PPP will stand side by side of its allies,” he said. “We want to put the responsibility of the worst situation on their (PTI-PML-Q) shoulders and send them home.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022