LAHORE: All eyes are fixed on the Punjab Assembly today, which will not only elect the chief executive of country’s biggest province, but will also determine the politics of future.
Political analysts believe if the opposition parties — PTI and the PMLQ — win the prized slot in Punjab, the coalition government in Centre will ultimately feel the heat. With two provincial governments in pocket, the ousted premier Imran Khan would prove to be a bigger threat to the PMLN-led federal government, hence chances of early general election in the country.
Due to significance of the contest, wheeling and dealing by the arch-rivals continued during the past 3-4 days, and reached its peak on Thursday night, when the election was almost 12 hours away.
The provincial assembly is expected to witness a thrilling contest today, between Hamza Shehbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the nominee of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, for the slot of chief minister.
Ahead of Friday’s crucial election, former prime minister Imran Khan presided over the parliamentary party meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid. The meeting was attended by 186 members of the provincial assembly, while Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari did not participate in the meeting.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed to have the support of 186 MPAs, the required number for winning the CM election. Former federal minister and PMLQ leader Moonis Elahi also said the Hamza government game was over, as they had the required numbers, adding that Shehbaz Sharif had ruined anyone or any institution that helped him.
Earlier, 20 newly-elected MPAs, including 15 of the PTI, four of the PMLN, and one independent, took oath as members of the Punjab Assembly in a session, chaired by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
During the past three, four days, both sides exchanged allegations of horse trading against each other. The PTI workers staged a protest demonstration at Liberty Chowk in Lahore and its leadership vehemently condemned the presence of Asif Ali Zardari, the PPPP head, in Lahore in the last two days. During this period, he held meetings with PMLQ President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. The opposition believes that Asif Zardari was manipulating the poll process and heavy offers were being made to the MPAs for supporting Hamza Shehbaz.
Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, a PTI MPA, told the media that Asif Zardari was playing a ‘Satanic’ game and warned that the PTI workers would surround Bilawal House if the dirty game was not stopped. He said that trillions of rupees of corruption were used by Zardari to buy loyalties of the PTI MPAs, but only one was bought. Mian Masood was accused of selling his loyalty to the PMLN, and leaving the country. PMLN MPA Maulana Ilyas Chinioti, meanwhile, alleged that he was offered Rs100 million by the PTI for changing his loyalty.
At present, the PTI-PMLQ alliance seems to be leading the Punjab Assembly number game, as after the July 17 results, their joint tally stands at 188. If the votes of Deputy Speaker Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari, Chaudhry Masood and one more MPA are excluded, they stand at 185 in the PA. All those who abstain or vote against the party line would face the defection law.
On the other hand, the PMLN, having lost its two MPAs, stands at 167, and with seven PPP MPAs, four independents, one from Rah-e-Haq Party, the ruling coalition stands at 179. The only option left for the PMLN is to cause a breach in the PTI-PMLQ parliamentary strength. If six or seven MPAs of the PTI miss the polling, the opposition candidate could be in a real trouble.
The votes of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and newly elected independent MPA Pir Rafiuddin Bokhari are of great significance now. The Pir, elected from Lodhran, is inclined towards the PMLN. Nevertheless, in the second round of the CM election, even the lead of one vote would mark victory of the contestants as either side will have to prove the figure of 186 in the assembly, which is needed to prove simple majority in the Punjab Assembly.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Thursday that 50 PTI members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) would listen to the voice of their conscience and they might vote for PMLN’s chief minister candidate Hamza Shehbaz. “Not five, but 50 PTI MPAs can either use their right to vote [for Hamza] or they might refrain from casting their votes altogether,” he claimed while addressing a press conference.
Sanaullah said “politically aware” lawmakers, who might understand PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s “wrongdoing”, will not support their party’s nominated candidate — Pervaiz Elahi — for Punjab’s top office. “We will use all our political options to the fullest,” the interior minister vowed, as he said the PMLN was in contact with the opposition lawmakers.
Sanaullah said if the Supreme Court would call him to prove his allegation that the PTI bought two PMLN MPAs, he would tell the court how the money was distributed and on whose directions.
Also, Awais Leghari, an MPA from the ruling PMLN, who was also the finance minister for Punjab till July 11, said on Thursday several lawmakers from the PTI might express their resentment on Friday by not voting for the party candidate, Pervaiz Elahi.
“In private conversations, we are seeing a lot of dissent within the PTI ranks,” he told Geo.tv over the phone: “The dissent is because of the rhetoric [PTI chief] Imran Khan has used for Elahi in the past by calling him a daku (thief).”
Leghari added that these MPAs were also not happy with the tenure of former chief minister Usman Buzdar, appointed by PTI in 2018. “These PTI MPAs could be in the double figures,” he added.
The polling process will start after 2pm on Friday (today) and no member is allowed to bring cell-phone in the House. No visitors, guests are allowed to sit in the gallery. Separately, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered Chief Secretary Punjab and IGP Punjab to ensure safety of all provincial assembly members as they cast their votes according to their free will in the election for the chief minister Punjab on Friday.
LHC Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petition moved by PTI MPAs Sibtain Khan and Zainab Umair through their counsel Advocate Azher Siddique. As the hearing commenced on Thursday, a law officer submitted report on behalf of the IGP. The report stated that no harassment had been caused earlier nor it would be done so to the petitioner or any other member of the provincial assembly in future. It further stated that no threat had been given to any member of the provincial assembly by the police.
The court, after hearing the law officer, disposed of the petitions with directions to the Chief Secretary and IGP to ensure that members of the provincial assembly cast their votes safely, as per their wishes.
