PDM deliberates legal options to bring in-house change in Punjab

• PDM may ask governor to direct CM Punjab for taking vote of confidence.
• Disgruntled Punjab Assembly treasury members might not be present during voting day.
• Nawaz and Shehbaz discussed in-house change during PM's London visit.

The constitutional experts belonging to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have once again sat together to deliberate on an in-house change in Punjab and table a no-trust motion against the provincial assembly's speaker before removing Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.

Completing the numbers game of 186 is inevitable for this process that seems to be next to impossible, the constitutional experts have opined.

Sources told Online news agency that during the meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in London, important consultations were made on the issue of an in-house change in the province.

The two leaders agreed on evolving a strategy immediately in consultation with PDM leaders.

On the other hand, the PDM leaders have proposed tabling a vote of no trust motion against the PA speaker before removing the CM. Consultations have been started in this respect.

The sources said the PDM solicited opinions from legal and constitutional experts in connection with the in-house change.

During their consultation process, it was told that some treasury members had decided to join hands with the PDM and would cast their vote in favour of the PDM candidate.

The experts had advised the PDM to ask the CM to seek a vote of confidence from the assembly instead of tabling a no-trust move against him.

They advised that the Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman, by exercising his constitutional powers, should ask the CM to get a vote of confidence and on the day of the vote, disgruntled treasury members of PA should abstain from the assembly.

This way the CM would fail in securing the required votes.

According to experts, if the vote of no confidence is floated against the PA speaker, the chances of its success are higher due to secret balloting.

The modus operandi would be decided after the arrival of former president Asif Ali Zardari in Lahore.

It is pertinent to mention here that PTI Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that the opposition parties are conspiring to topple his government Punjab.  

Over 50% PML-Q Punjab MPAs in contact with Shujaat

Giving credence to the PTI's allegations, it was earlier reported that more than 50% of PML-Q lawmakers in Punjab are in contact with the party president Chaudhry Shujaat — cousin of the province's chief minister, Elahi, who is a strong ally of PTI.

Shujaat and Elahi, who were considered to be extremely close, drifted apart earlier this year when the former decided against supporting the latter for the CM post.

There was also an attempted coup by Elahi and his allies in the party to overthrow Shujaat as the president, however, he moved the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to foil the bid.

Well-informed sources told Daily Jang that although the federal government is busy tackling deadly floods, it is also mulling toppling the Punjab government.

The sources told the publication that most party lawmakers have agreed to back Shujaat's decisions — putting PTI at the risk of losing the Punjab government once again.