PA Speaker Sibtain Khan asks PDM to hold talks on election date

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan asked the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to hold talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies on the election date, ARY News reported on Thursday.

While talking to the ARY News programme ‘The Reporters’, PA Speaker Sibtain Khan said that the court restricted Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi to not dissolve the Punjab Assembly till January 11 besides allowing the CM to decide on the time for the vote of confidence.

He said that the opposition was demanding in the assembly on a daily basis to take the vote of confidence besides blaming the CM for not having a majority in the PA.

READ: PTI DECIDES TO DISSOLVE PUNJAB ASSEMBLY

He said that the government made a commitment with the opposition to not take the trust vote on January 11, hence the vote of confidence was taken on January 12. Khan admitted that consultations are underway for the dissolution of the assembly.

The PA speaker said that the Punjab Assembly will be dissolved within 24 or 48 hours. He asked PDM to hold talks on the election date.

He said that the chief minister and the opposition leader will have to sit together for deciding on a name for the caretaker CM. After failing to build consensus, the matter will be forwarded to the speaker and then to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

READ: VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: PTI TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST ABSENT MEMBERS

Khan added that it would be an attempt to flee from the election if the opposition brings the no-trust motion.

Meanwhile, PTI Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry announced in a press conference today that they have forwarded advice to Governor Baligh ur Rehman to dissolve Punjab Assembly.

Talking to journalists alongside Ijaz Chaudhry in Lahore, the former information minister said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly will be dissolved after the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.

“Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has signed the summary for dissolving the provincial assembly,” he said, adding that the advice had been forwarded to the Punjab governor.

He warned that the order for the dissolution of assembly will be enforced within two days if Governor refuses to sign the summary.