LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Tuesday advised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan to delay dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, suggesting the assembly’s dissolution should be delayed for three months to get the development projects completed.
“The PML-Q has no objection whatsoever to the Punjab Assembly dissolution but it will be a better decision to delay it for time being.”
The sources informed after back-to-back meetings of PTI Central Information Secretary and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry with Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi and Imran Khan, on Tuesday.
According to the sources privy to the meetings, Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi categorically told Fawad Chaudhry that the PML-Q didn’t have any objection to the dissolution of the assembly. “We are ready to dissolve the assembly on the Imran Khan’s call, but various important developmental projects underway in the province require three months to complete. So we just want the time to get these project completed”, he elaborated.
The Punjab CM emphasized on delaying the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly for at least three months so that development projects could be completed, calling “it will be a better decision.”
On the occasion, Fawad Ch conveyed the message of PTI Chairman Imran Khan to Ch Pervaiz Elahi that “if the dissolution of the assemblies is delayed, the country will default.”
The sources stated that Imran Khan was sticking to his position that immediate elections were the only solution to the problems facing the country.
Earlier, Fawad Ch confirmed on Monday that “informal communications” between the PTI and federal government, pertaining to the snap elections, had begun.
Former premier Imran Khan last week gave the federal government an ultimatum to either “sit and talk and give a date for the general elections” or “we will dissolve the assemblies”.
“Either they can sit with us and talk, gave us a date for the general elections […] or else we will dissolve our assemblies on December 21,” he had said.
Imran’s offer came after the PTI leadership greenlit plans to dissolve the KP and Punjab assemblies after Imran said the party would no longer be part of the corrupt system on the last day of his long march in Rawalpindi in November.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Fawad Ch said that “informal communication” with the federal government had begun. “We are trying to make the coalition representatives, especially Finance Minister Ishaq Dar […] who is more [determined] from the PML-N […] we told the president […] the problem is that the government is rapidly becoming irrelevant due to the economic situation.
Earlier, Punjab CM said the provincial assembly will “continue the same way for the next four months till March”, with his remarks being in contrast to the repeated threats of the assembly’s immediate dissolution by key ally and PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
On November 26, Imran announced his party’s intention to disassociate itself from the “current corrupt political system” by quitting the assemblies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
On Saturday, Imran said he would “wait for four to five more days” for the government’s response to his offer of negotiations, after which he would dissolve the assemblies.
Elahi, who is in power in Punjab despite a handful of MPAs due to PTI’s support, has on multiple occasions said that he would follow Imran’s instructions. He again reiterated his intentions to oblige but the timeline he outlined seemed to be in conflict with Imran’s.
In an appearance on a TV talk show on Sunday, the PML-Q leader closed the door on Punjab Assembly’s dissolution any time before March.
“My stance is the same … I will dissolve [the assembly] whenever he (Imran) tells me to,” he said. “That decision has been taken. However, now you’d have to think of its pros and cons. For that, we will have to hold talks.”
Elahi cited Imran’s mobility as the reason why the assemblies would continue till March, saying that consultation over strategy could not take place until Imran was completely healthy.
