Imran’s announcement today: PMLQ advises PTI to defer PA dissolution

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PMLQ) leader and son of Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has reportedly persuaded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders to delay the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly. 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan will announce the date for dissolution of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assemblies on Saturday but sources told a news channel that Moonis Elahi had convinced several PTI leaders to delay the decision as the PMLN would benefit from it”.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan agreed to Moonis’s stance but didn’t give his final decision about the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly. Sources told the news channel that after the meeting with Imran Khan, Moonis Elahi had a separate meeting with other PTI leaders in which he managed to convince them for delaying the dissolution of the assembly. However, a PTI leader opposed his suggestion.

A total of five out of three leaders agreed to Moonis Elahi’s point of view. Meanwhile, the President is also against the immediate dissolution of assemblies, However, the final call will be made by Imran Khan soon.

In his meeting with Imran Khan, Moonis also feared that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government could victimise the PTI and PMLQ leadership if the assemblies were dissolved earlier than the original schedule, Geo News reported citing sources.

The development came Thursday during the meeting of a PMLQ delegation, headed by Moonis, with Imran Khan in Lahore as political activity heats up in the country ahead of the dissolution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies. “You are authorised to make a final decision on assembly dissolution,” he conveyed the message of Pervaiz Elahi to the PTI chairman, well-placed sources said.

The PML-Q leader reassured the former premier that the assembly would be dissolved whenever he asked for it. Moonis, however, suggested that it was not an appropriate time for the dissolution of the assemblies. He informed Imran Khan that a majority of his party’s lawmakers wanted the continuation of development work in their areas. Sources privy to the matter said the PMLQ had demanded seat adjustment in 25 constituencies with the PTI before the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly. Maintaining its separate identity, the PMLQ wants to go with the PTI in electoral politics, sources said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi dashed to Islamabad on Friday afternoon on a special plane, held an important meeting there and flew back after ninety minutes to Lahore.

The sources pointed out that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi also consulted PMLQ President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain after returning from Islamabad. Chaudhry Shujaat advised him not to dissolve provincial assembly. The PTI was desperately trying to establish contact with Punjab chief minister late in the evening. The fresh consultations could scuttle plan to announce dissolution of two assemblies by Imran.

It is expected that Punjab chief minister would visit Zaman Park today (Saturday) to take Imran into confidence about the thinking prevailing in his party. The sources said that it was unlikely that the PTI members would quit the Punjab Assembly because in that case the province would conveniently go in the lap of i the PMLN. The PTI leader had to announce schedule for quitting the provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP Saturday evening in his video address.