Punjab Assembly: ECP starts hearing against ‘unification bloc’ lawmakers

ECP starts hearings against members of the splinter group of PML-Q in the Punjab Assembly.


Express March 20, 2011

ISLAMABAD:


The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) started on Saturday hearings against members of the splinter group of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid in the Punjab Assembly which calls itself the “unification bloc”. The outcome of these hearings is likely to determine the political balance of power in the province.


A petition had been filed by Chaudhry Zaheer ud Din, the PML-Q parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly. The chief election commissioner (CEC) summoned nine members of the unification bloc to hear their stance on the alleged change in political affiliation, deemed illegal under the 14th amendment to the constitution.

The PML-Q won a total of 81 seats in the Punjab Assembly during the 2008 election. However, soon afterwards, a group of 41 MPAs broke away from the party’s leadership to create a “unification bloc” which aimed to support the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), the ruling party in the province. The bloc’s name is a reference to the fact that the PML-Q originally consisted mainly of people who broke away from the PML-N.

The importance of this bloc rose in Punjab politics after the PML-N kicked out the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) from the cabinet and the ruling coalition in the assembly. In doing so, the party would be short of a majority in the assembly were it not for the support of the unification bloc.

Chaudhry Zaheer had earlier moved a reference against nine members of the ‘unification bloc’ to the speaker of the Punjab Assembly to send his plea to the ECP. However, Speaker Rana Iqbal, who belongs to the PML-N, ignored his application. Chaudhry Zaheer then moved the ECP directly and sought the disqualification of these members on charges of shifting political loyalties after an election.

The CEC summoned both parties on Saturday and heard their points of view. Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza has directed the lawyers of the unification bloc to submit their response by March 26. The next hearing will be on April 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2011.

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