The embattled prime minister, Imran Khan has succeeded in wooing his estranged ally PML-Q to support him on the matter of no-confidence motion tabled against him by the joint opposition in the National Assembly on Monday.
Prime Minister Imran’s special assistant on political communication Shahbaz Gill said that the PML-Q leadership has assured its support to the premier on the no-trust move.
The PTI will support Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the candidate for the post of Punjab chief minister, he announced on his official Twitter handle on Monday.
PML-Q's leader Chaudhry Moonis Elahi has also confirmed that the post has been accepted by Elahi.
Elahi along with a dozen senior party leaders met with the prime minister at his residence in Bani Gala – after the Nation Assembly accepted a no-trust motion against the Prime Minister Imran Khan – for the final round of talks choosing a side.
After tough negotiations, the premier has accepted their demand to sacrifice Buzdar in favour of PML-Q’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. The PML-Q leadership has expressed confidence in Prime Minister Imran and assured their support in the National Assembly on no-trust motion.
Political pundits believe that Prime Minister Imran has turned tables on the opposition after accepting the demand of removal of Buzdar. Now, most likely the disgruntled group of the ruling party will support the prime minister on a no-trust motion against him. However, the situation will clear in a couple of days before the upcoming National Assembly session.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib also confirmed the development, saying, “All issues were settled after Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi met with Prime Minister Imran Khan” at his Bani Gala resident in Islamabad.
He said during the meeting, the PML-Q leadership expressed full confidence in PM Imran and announced its support to him on no-trust voting in the lower house.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar, he said, has submitted his resignation to the prime minister. Prime Minister Imran has decided in principle to nominate Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as Punjab CM, he added.
Earlier in the day, the much-anticipated session of the lower house of parliament to deliberate on the no-confidence motion was adjourned till March 31 after opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif tabled the motion followed by the counting procedure to determine the number of lawmakers in favour.
More than 155 lawmakers were in favour of tabling the motion against the premier.
The opposition, which has 162 members, filed the con-confidence motion on March 8. The motion, moved by 152 opposition members, said that Prime Minister Imran had lost the confidence of the house. The ruling coalition currently has the support of 179 members of the National Assembly.
PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry also said in a tweet that all matters have been settled between PML-Q and the ruling party after Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervez Elahi met PM Imran at his residence.
“PML-Q has expressed confidence in PM Imran’s leadership. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar submitted his resignation with the premier,” he added.
While terming the breakthrough a “first step towards success”, the senior ruling party leader confirmed that PM Imran has decided to nominate Elahi for the slot of Punjab CM.
In a video statement, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said that “opposition’s game is over”.
“They [opposition] don’t even know what has hit them… we told them earlier that they were heading towards ‘political’ blind alley,” said the minister while expressing hope that their attempt to de-seat PM Imran through no-trust move will be defeated.
Meanwhile, PM’s aide on religious harmony Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi hinted at early elections. “Situation is improving… final word is early elections,” he wrote in Urdu on his official Twitter handle.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/235003...buzdar-quits-punjab-cm-slot-for-pervaiz-elahi