The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to stage a power show outside the Punjab Governor House on Thursday (tomorrow) amid the opposition’s attempts to oust Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi.
Punjab headed for a political showdown on Wednesday as the federal government insisted that Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi would “cease to hold” office if he fails to get a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly by 4pm, while Speaker Sibtain Khan disposed of the governor’s order to the chief minister for the vote as “unconstitutional”.
“[PTI] chairman Imran Khan has decided that the party will hold gathering outside Governor House at 5pm tomorrow. We will not let anyone to take unconstitutional steps,” announced PTI leader Hammad Azhar while addressing the media in Lahore on Wednesday.
چیئرمیں عمران خان کی ہدایت کے مطابق کل پنجاب گورنر ہاوس کے سامنے ایک بڑا اجتماع منعقد کیا جائے گا انشااللہ۔ @Hammad_Azhar pic.twitter.com/4PMeKiRo8q
— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 21, 2022
Flanked by former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, the PTI leader told reporters that party chief and former PM Imran Khan would address the gathering and announce the future course of action.
He asked the supporters and workers to attend the gathering, saying the party chief would deliver an important address.
He also appealed the people of Lahore to stand up for their rights by showing up at the protest demonstration against “unconstitutional acts of the ruling alliance”.
Hammad said the the party's opponents in Sindh were offering money stolen from the taxpayers in an attempt to buy loyalties of PTI members. “However, the people of Punjab will not allow anyone to make a mockery of their mandate and take any unconstitutional step in the province.”
Also read: PA speaker ‘to approach’ president to bar governor from denotifying CM Elahi
Speaking on the occasion, Fawad said the PTI and PML-Q combined had the required numbers in the Punjab Assembly to foil the opposition's vote of no-confidence, as well as the required strength to win a confidence vote for CM Pervaiz Eahi.
Punjab Assembly Speaker Muhammad Sibtain Khan has rightly pointed out that the governor’s action is unconstitutional, he added.
گورنر نے جس طرح آرٹیکل 109 کی خلاف ورزی کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ 24 گھنٹے میں ہی وزیراعلیٰ اعتماد کا ووٹ لیں، اس کو اسپیکر نے ٹھیک سے interpret کیا اور گورنر کے proclamation کو غیر آئینی قرار دیا۔@fawadchaudhry
— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 21, 2022
pic.twitter.com/41AOH1vphp
PTI leader highlighted that Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Speaker Muhammad Sibtain Khan and Deputy Speaker Wasiq Qayyum had support of 187 members, including all 10 members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and 177 members of the PTI.
He said PTI was all ready to bulldoze the no-trust motion after which the Punjab Assembly will be dissolved. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assembly would follow the suit as announced by the ex-PM Imran.
Fawad alleged that PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardaris was offering Rs50 million each to women parliamentarians of the PTI to buy their loyalities. “PTI members are also being threatened on phone from unknown numbers to remain abstained from Punjab Assembly session in which no-trust motion will be presented.”
(With input from Imran Adnan in Lahore)
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