PML-N hopes to gain from ‘rifts in PTI’
Party lawmakers are confident about video controversy coming into play
PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
With high hopes to capitalise on the internal rift within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) coalition government, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is still optimistic it could secure the two vacated Senate seats in the by-elections today.
Presided over by the Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz, the party held a parliamentary meeting in Lahore to craft a strategy for the by-election.
All the party parliamentarians were instructed to ensure their presence in the meeting. They were briefed about the election process to ensure that no vote was rejected.
According to the data available on the Punjab Assembly website, PTI had a total strength of 180 members in the house while Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) had 10 votes. This brings their tally to 190 votes.
On the contrary, PML-N’s total seats in the Punjab Assembly are 167. The website showed that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had seven votes while four were independent candidates.
Therefore, PML-N still does not have the advantage of number game.
A PML-N leader claimed that the party had assurances from 20 lawmakers who belonged to PTI, PML-Q and independent MPAs. The party leader shared that the power tussle within the PTI Punjab had left many of its members disenchanted. He said that the controversial video related to Chaudhry Sarwar was only the tip of the iceberg.
He said that the issue had been publicly resolved but rift in the PTI had deepened.
Referring to PML-N’s ticket holder, former senator Saud Majeed, the PML-N leader said that Majeed also had strong connections with leaders from Southern Punjab.
With regard to ticket holder Saira Tarar, he said that she also had her own connections with the parliamentarians.
It is pertinent to mention that PTI had given tickets to Waleed Iqbal, the grandson of Pakistan’s national poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Seemi Aizdi to contest the two vacated seats.
PML-N MPA Samiullah said that the party stood equal chance of winning the two seat seats. He added that PML-N had not contacted any parliamentarian of PTI or PML-Q for votes.
Earlier this week, in an effort to downplay the video controversy, Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi said issues within coalition government had been resolved before the elections to prevent anger from being vented out during the secret ballot.
With high hopes to capitalise on the internal rift within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) coalition government, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is still optimistic it could secure the two vacated Senate seats in the by-elections today.
Presided over by the Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz, the party held a parliamentary meeting in Lahore to craft a strategy for the by-election.
All the party parliamentarians were instructed to ensure their presence in the meeting. They were briefed about the election process to ensure that no vote was rejected.
According to the data available on the Punjab Assembly website, PTI had a total strength of 180 members in the house while Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) had 10 votes. This brings their tally to 190 votes.
On the contrary, PML-N’s total seats in the Punjab Assembly are 167. The website showed that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had seven votes while four were independent candidates.
Therefore, PML-N still does not have the advantage of number game.
A PML-N leader claimed that the party had assurances from 20 lawmakers who belonged to PTI, PML-Q and independent MPAs. The party leader shared that the power tussle within the PTI Punjab had left many of its members disenchanted. He said that the controversial video related to Chaudhry Sarwar was only the tip of the iceberg.
He said that the issue had been publicly resolved but rift in the PTI had deepened.
Referring to PML-N’s ticket holder, former senator Saud Majeed, the PML-N leader said that Majeed also had strong connections with leaders from Southern Punjab.
With regard to ticket holder Saira Tarar, he said that she also had her own connections with the parliamentarians.
It is pertinent to mention that PTI had given tickets to Waleed Iqbal, the grandson of Pakistan’s national poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Seemi Aizdi to contest the two vacated seats.
PML-N MPA Samiullah said that the party stood equal chance of winning the two seat seats. He added that PML-N had not contacted any parliamentarian of PTI or PML-Q for votes.
Earlier this week, in an effort to downplay the video controversy, Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi said issues within coalition government had been resolved before the elections to prevent anger from being vented out during the secret ballot.