The Punjab Assembly will elect a new chief minister on April 3 (today), announced the speaker of the house on Saturday as he adjourned the day's proceedings which were marred by sloganeering from both sides of the aisle.
Nomination papers can be submitted by 5 pm today and scrutiny of the papers will be done by 6pm, said Secretary of the Punjab Assembly Muhammad Khan Bhatti. Both Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and PML-N's Hamza Shehbaz Sharif – the two aspirants for the coveted Punjab chief minister slot – appeared optimistic during the session and claimed to have the required number of lawmakers on their respective sides.
Hamza said that the PML-N had more than the required number to become successful in its quest for the next chief executive of Pakistan’s most populous province and termed the current state of affairs in Punjab a result of the ruling party’s policies. The now-former chief minister, Usman Buzdar, dismissed rumours that he had formed a separate bloc after tendering his resignation.
He said they were with Prime Minister Imran Khan and will remain by his side. He also condemned the incident in which PTI’s former minister for higher education Yasir Hamayun misbehaved with a journalist
Earlier in the day, Elahi went on to term the contest a ‘long inning’, not a ‘short match’.
The Punjab Assembly speaker's remarks came in response to a journalist's question regarding him "preparing to play cricket on a rough pitch”. Answering another query about the number game in the provincial assembly, to ensure his election as chief minister, Elahi simply stated that everything was fine.
The PML-Q leader abstained from answering further questions asked by media persons, and also did not respond to questions regarding his son, Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi. The intrigue around his son comes following Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah's remarks, holding him responsible for the PML-Q's decision to side with the government instead of the opposition for the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Meanwhile, the media boycotted the Punjab Assembly session over alleged humiliation by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s provincial minister Yasir Humayun. The media were barred from entering the Punjab Assembly Secretariat despite traditionally being allowed to cover the session from the press gallery.
Also read: PPP, PML-N at odds over Punjab CM slot
Tareen, Aleem groups
Later, while addressing a press conference alongside Hamza, Punjab MPA Nauman Langrial formally announced the Jahangir Khan Tareen group's support for the PML-N’s candidate.
He said the group comprising PTI dissidents made its decision based on "honesty, sincerity and for the country's sake".
The group hoped that the PML-n scion would serve the province well, he added.
With two PTI splinter groups – Tareen and Aleem – announcing to throw their weight behind Hamza who on Saturday got PPP Punjab formally back on board, the PML-N seems to have the upper hand for now in the CM Punjab race.
However, all is not lost for the shrewd and much-experienced Pervez Elahi. Hamza Shehbaz, while holding a press conference alongside PPP Punjab leaders, said that they have the backing of the Tareen and Aleem Khan groups which significantly furthers the PML-N’s prospects.
However, he claimed that there were more surprises in store, adding that their collective goal was to get the country out of the financial turmoil that it was currently in. The PML-N scion deplored the “suffering of the masses” under PTI’s rule.
“People stumbled into one crisis after another under PTI rule. They allowed their ATMs to rob the common people by rising prices of essential commodities,” he said, adding that it was due to this suffering that all opposition parties, including JUIF, PPP, BNP (M), ANP, MQM and BAP decided to forge an alliance to overthrow this government through constitutional means.
‘Rest will be decided later'
In response to a question related to the power-sharing formula, PPP’s parliamentary leaders stressed the initial goal was to get Hamza elected to the top slot, saying “rest of the things will be decided later”.
Hamza’s visit to the PPP’s Punjab office was aimed at formally taking the latter on board with the PML-N’s decision of nominating him as the joint opposition party’s candidate for CM Punjab.
According to a well-placed PML-N leader, the PPP was a bit annoyed over the PML-N’s announcement of nominating Hamza Shehbaz for the coveted slot. The source said that in order to clarify the misunderstanding, Hamza visited the PPP office to formally take them on board. Talking about the number game, the PML-N leader said that PML-N has over 200 votes and will win the CM Punjab election with a thumping majority.
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