The early PA session ensures that the rumour mill in Punjab continues to operate.
Legislators believe there is little likelihood that Elahi will win the vote of confidence.
The speaker of the provincial assembly moved the session’s start date from January 11 to January 9 on Monday, adding another twist to the high drama playing out in Punjab’s political echelons. As a result, political circles began speculating wildly about whether Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi was preparing to ask for a vote of confidence.
Elahi, the PML-Q leader, was reinstated by the Lahore High Court (LHC), which also bound the chief minister (CM) by promising not to dissolve the provincial legislature until the next hearing, which was set for January 11.
The order stated, “However, this injunction will not prevent the petitioner from taking a vote of confidence on his own initiative.”
In an effort to stop former premier Imran Khan’s attempt to dissolve the Punjab Assembly, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman de-notified Elahi as the chief minister of the country’s largest province. This led to the court order.
The majority of parliamentarians, however, told The Express Tribune that there were very few possibilities of the chief minister asking for a vote of confidence. They added that the session had been convened in order to put off the decision and thwart any attempts by the governor to force his will.
Additionally, several lawmakers were found to be unaware of the change in the assembly session’s date, and others referred to the action as a “test case” for the ruling coalition to demonstrate the strength of its majority.
According to dependable sources who requested anonymity and who spoke to The Express Tribune, a few PTI legislators, including one or two women, have been fighting to keep the assembly from being dissolved.
The sources continued, “They have made it clear to the party’s top leadership that they will not support the motion if the house takes up the vote of confidence with the sole purpose of removing the constitutional restriction on the chief minister’s ability to dissolve the assembly.
According to the sources, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has already been informed that, should a motion of confidence be put to a vote in the assembly session, the ruling coalition will have difficulty securing the backing of 186 legislators.
The legislators, who do wish to dissolve the assembly, indicated their scepticism about the likelihood of an unexpected vote of confidence by suspending the house’s rules of operation “if we do not make [vote of confidence] part of the agenda item.”
They worry that the judgement would be contested at the high court, which is now hearing the case regarding the dissolution of the assembly.
Getting rid of all preconceptions, a few MPs asserted that there might be a chance to take a vote of confidence and that CM Elahi had the necessary number in his possession. They agreed with the majority of lawmakers who felt that because there was no likelihood of an election, the assemblies shouldn’t be dissolved at this time.
The house had been delayed till January 11 by PA Speaker Sibtain Khan, but this time he rescheduled it for January 9 at 2 p.m. by announcing a new date for convening the house.
At a rally in Rawalpindi, the PTI chairman had declared that his governments in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would be overthrown to make way for new elections.
The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) also declared that it will not support Elahi’s appointment as the Punjab CM.
The MWM Political Council stated that it made the choice after consulting with the party’s leadership in a statement that was made public.
The MWM has raised “severe reservations over certain of Elahi’s acts,” according to the party spokeswoman, who also claimed that Syeda Zahra Naqvi, a member of the MWM in the Punjab Assembly, will not support him with a vote of confidence.
The spokesperson further stated that the choice was made in accordance with the directives issued by the party’s leadership.
