Punjab govt enjoys support of 188 lawmakers: Fawad

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday claimed that the Punjab government enjoyed the support of 188 lawmakers, adding that they would abide by the Lahore High Court’s order, if given, to seek a vote of confidence for Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi.

Earlier in the day, the LHC’s larger bench had sought further arguments by January 12 (today) on Elahi’s plea, challenging Governor Balighur Rehman’s two orders including de-notifying him and his cabinet, with a clear direction that the undertaking submitted by the CM of not dissolving assembly will not be violated.

The PTI, which is in power in the province, sought to dissolve the provincial assembly in order to force the federal government to call early elections while the ruling PML-N countered the move through Governor Rehman, who directed CM Elahi to take a trust vote.

However, Elahi was de-notified by Governor Rehman as the CM for not taking the vote of confidence.

The PTI approached the LHC which reinstated Elahi on the assurance that he would not dissolve the provincial assembly until the next hearing – January 11.

Speaking to the media outside the LHC, Fawad indicated that they could file an appeal after the court order. He expressed the hope that the Punjab Assembly would be dissolved after taking the vote of confidence.

“Seventy-one per cent people say that new elections should be held. [We] will go for general elections after the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly,” he said.

We have the support of 188 lawmakers [to make CM Elahi's vote of confidence successful]. We will implement the court’s order if it asks us to seek a vote of confidence,” he added.

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Chastising the incumbent rulers, Fawad said that Premier Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto could not be trusted on any matter.

He said PPP was unable to find candidates for the upcoming local government polls in Karachi.

He said PTI was popular with the masses, so the establishment will have to “normalise relations” with the party.

Fawad complained that the PTI leaders were receiving threatening calls from unknown numbers to change their allegiance, saying five MPAs of the PTI were offered a bribe of Rs5.2 billion.

He questioned who were the people in the “institution” who were making threatening calls and violating the army chief’s orders.

He said they would bring up the issue with the COAS.

Referring to the MPAs who had allegedly resorted to horse-trading during Senate elections in 2018, the PTI leader asked if “politics had come to an end after 20 lawmakers had deceived Imran Khan”.

He said the PTI continued to support CM Elahi and condemned any “pressure tactics” on his son, Moonis Elahi and his family.