Islamabad : The Punjab Assembly in Pakistan was dissolved on Saturday evening as per the constitution, 48 hours after Punjab Governor Baligur Rehman refused to sign on to the advice of Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. Elahi had on Thursday sent an advisory to dissolve the assembly as per the ‘wish’ of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan. The Governor did not sign off on this advice. After this, according to the constitution, the assembly was dissolved 48 hours after the advice was sent to the governor.
The Governor tweeted, ‘I have decided not to be a part of the process of dissolution of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. Instead, I will let the Constitution and the law take their course. Doing so will not hamper any legal process as the Constitution clearly lays down the further procedure in this regard. Rehman has invited Chief Minister Elahi and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz (son of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif) to begin the process of appointing a caretaker chief minister. He has asked them to file nominations by January 17.
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‘There is only one solution to the economic crisis – elections’
Elahi, the joint candidate of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaide Azam (PML-Q), signed a resolution to dissolve the Punjab Assembly, hours after winning the trust vote. Imran Khan said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly will also be dissolved in a few days. The move is aimed at forcing the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN)-led federal government to call for mid-term elections. Khan said that only elections can get the country out of the economic crisis.
Nawaz Sharif attended the meeting from London
The federal government says that a general election will be held only after the government’s term ends in August. Meanwhile, London-based PMLN supreme leader Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the party in Lahore on Saturday evening through digital means. Sharif is in London since November 2019. PMLN spokesperson and federal information minister Maryam Aurangzeb said, “Nawaz Sharif has instructed party leaders and workers to start preparing for elections in Punjab.” He has also asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to set up a parliamentary board to give tickets.