By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Thursday advised the provincial governor to dissolve the Punjab assembly just a day after he managed to secure a trust vote.
“I, Parvez Elahi, chief minister of Punjab, hereby advise you to dissolve the provincial assembly,” Elahi said in a brief one-line advice addressed to the governor.
The move could force early general elections in the country.
Punjab Governor Baligur Rehman of the PML-N confirmed via Twitter that he received Elahi’s advice to dissolve the assembly.
A day earlier, the coalition government of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parties showed a majority in the provincial legislature with the support of 186 lawmakers – the minimum number of votes required to win the trust vote.
Governor Rehman had sacked Elahi for refusal to take the vote of confidence, and the case was taken to the Lahore High Court. He withdrew his order after the voting.
Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said “If the governor does not accept the advice of the chief minister then, the assembly is automatically dissolved after 48 hours”. “The Kyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, where the PTI is also in power, will also be dissolved the day after tomorrow”.
Chaudhry said Elahi’s move comes after his meeting with Khan at his Zaman Park residence.
“The PML-N led coalition government in the Centre should come out of the bunker and announce snap polls as there is no other way to escape from the elections,” Chaudhry said.
PTI’s chief Khan, who was ousted as prime minister in a no-confidence vote in April 2022, announced last month to dissolve two of the country’s four provincial assemblies where he holds power, in a bid to force early elections.
Khan says only fresh polls can steer the country out of the economic crisis.
The coalition government, however, insists that general elections will be held after the completion of the tenure in August. Historically, polls for the federal and provincial governments are held at the same time every five years.
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