PMLN govt loses 27 MPAs on reserved seats in Punjab

LAHORE: Following court orders, the 27 Punjab MPAs elected on reserved seats were suspended, reducing the total strength of the government to 203.

Of the 27 suspended MPAs, 23 belong to ruling PML-N, two to PPP and one each to IPP and PML-Q.

Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan ruled on the point of order raised by senior opposition MPA Rana Aftab Ahmad, resulting in the suspension of the 27 MPAs on reserved seats, who were subsequently barred from attending the assembly proceedings.

Among the suspended MPAs, 24 are women elected to reserved seats, while three are from the minority quota.

The suspended MPAs are; Tariq Masih Gill, Waseem Anjum, Basro Ji, Maqsooda Bibi, Rubina Nazir, Salma Zahid, Kanwal Nauman, Zeba Ghafoor, Saeeda Samreen Taj, Shehar Bano, Amna Parveen, Syed Sumera Ahmad, Uzma Butt, Afshan Hussain, Shugufta Faisal, Nasreen Riaz, Sajida Naveed, Farzana Abbas, Maria Talal, Tasheen Fawad, Abida Bashir, Sadia Muzaffar, Faiza Momina, Amira Khan, Samia Atta, Rahat Afzal, and Rukhsana Shafique. It is important to mention that if the PTI receives its denied share in the reserved seat quota, its strength in the House of 371 will reach 134.

Although this is still considerably short of the 186 figure that the PMLN has comfortably reached, the ruling League may face a challenging situation as it has to rely more on its allies, including the PPP, PMLQ, and IPP, which jointly constitute nearly 30 MPAs.

There is a common apprehension within the ranks of the ruling coalition that if decisions on some of the seats regarding Form 45 go against the PMLN, it may further reduce their strength in the House.

Moreover, any revolt within the ranks of the ruling party, even by a smaller group of MPAs as witnessed during the Buzdar government, could also pose significant challenges to the PMLN.

To counter this threat, the PMLN must keep its allies intact and allocate them a share in possible cabinet expansion.