PM’s Office, Presidency at odds again

ISLAMABAD:

Tensions have started to strain again between the Prime Minister’s House and the Presidency following the political situation in Punjab taking a toll on the affairs of the federal government.

The Centre is seeking a joint sitting of parliament to carry out legislation, however President Arif Alvi, who belongs to the PTI, has thrice ignored the parliamentary affairs ministry's summary for a joint sitting.

The federal government is worried about how it would carry out legislation as the authority to convene a joint sitting of parliament lies solely with the president.

It believes that as the president holds a constitutional position, he should be unbiased in such matters.

It is likely that the members of the ruling coalition in both houses of parliament will discuss the policy of the president’s sole authority to convene a joint sitting.

Federal government sources said the discussion for this purpose would take place during the session starting on Monday.

The PTI is also considering making a move for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take a vote of confidence.

Sources said the PTI wanted the elections to be held across the country, instead of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa alone.

To counter the PTI’s plans, the federal government has decided to bring its house in order.

It has started making efforts to woo it’s allies including the MQM-P and ANP for this purpose.

The Centre wants the National Assembly, as well as the provincial legislatures in Sindh and Balochistan to complete their terms.

K-P CM Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has announced that the provincial assembly would be dissolved on Saturday.

Addressing a news conference in Peshawar, Khan added that he was subordinate to PTI chief Imran Khan, who would give the signal when the summary for the dissolution of the provincial assembly should be sent to the K-P governor.

The K-P CM was expected to send his summary to Governor Haji Ghulam Ali on Saturday, advising him to dissolve the provincial assembly.

The opposition in the K-P Assembly has decided against tabling a no-trust motion against the chief minister to stop the dissolution of the assembly.

Speaking to reporters in Peshawar on Friday, PML-N deputy parliamentary leader and provincial spokesperson Ikhtiar Wali Khan claimed that the chief minister should stop requesting the opposition members to file a no-confidence motion against him to stop the dissolution of the legislature.

The PML-N leader was apparently referring to the impression that the K-P chief minister was not ready to let go of power yet.

According to PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan’s announcement, the process for the dissolution of the K-P Assembly would be initiated after it was completed in the provincial legislature of Punjab.

On Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi had signed the summary for the dissolution of the provincial assembly.

The advice to dissolve the assembly came less than 24 hours after the chief minister obtained the vote of confidence from the Punjab Assembly in the wee hours of Thursday.

There were reports that the Punjab CM too had asked the opposition to file a no-confidence resolution against him to delay the dissolution of the assembly.

(With input from our correspondent in Peshawar)