Amendments in the rules of procedure for the election of the Punjab chief minister have made the opposition in the provincial assembly retune its strategy of tumbling the Shahbaz Sharif government. Sources in opposition parties in the Punjab Assembly said the decision had been made after the passage of amendments in the CM election rules, and both the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) had put aside their plans of toppling the Punjab government for now.
Calling the amendments in rules of CM election a “problematic move” by the PML-N, political analysts said the treasury in the Punjab assembly had brought to end the risk of a no-confidence motion against Shahbaz. They said the PML-N government in Punjab was now safe, as the defection clause of floor crossing rules would not bar the Unification Bloc to vote in favour of Shahbaz if needed.
They said although the PML-N was in a position to get the amendments in rules passed, its task was cut short as the opposition did not raise a hue and cry, apparently, because it did not realise the importance of the amendments. The session had been convened on the requisition of the opposition, which wanted to give a tough time to the treasury over various issues. However, the government tactfully benefited from the House proceedings and managed to get passed the amendments in CM election rules.
The treasury tabled nine important bills in the House on Friday, besides the amendments in the rules of procedure for the Punjab chief minister’s election. The main feature of the new procedure for the election of the chief minister is that there will be no show of hands from now on and the provincial assembly will now elect its leader through secret ballot. This amendment would provide a sigh of relief to 46 Unification Bloc members who parted ways with the PML-Q to back Shahbaz Sharif’s government in Punjab.
But the threatening attitude of the PML-Q against its dissidents had put the legislators under pressure and looking for ways to save their assembly membership. Meanwhile, PML-Q Parliamentary Leader in Punjab Assembly Chaudhary Zaheerud Din announced to challenge the amendments in CM election rules in court. Zaheer said the treasury brought the amendment in a bid to provide legal cover to turncoats and to benefit the chief minister.
He said any such amendment would be tantamount to promoting and protecting the horse trading, therefore, the PML-Q would move a court to seek remedy.
