LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) says the situation in the country has started to improve after the constitutional crisis created by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf during its last week in power was overcome by the united opposition.

“All economic and social indicators, including stock market, have begun to improve since the united opposition overcame the constitutional crisis created by the PTI on its way out,”

PPP parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, Syed Hassan Murtaza, said here on Monday.

Talking to reporters at a reception given by PPP deputy information secretary Neelam Jabbar, he said Pakistan and Punjab got rid of the ‘dictatorship’ of Imran Khan as the Lahore High Court restored the deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

MPA Shazia Abid, Faiza Malik, Chaudhry Sajjad and others were also present.

Mr Murtaza hoped the LHC would give a decision on Tuesday (today), the final date for convening session of the Punjab Assembly, as the incumbent PTI-PML-Q government was dilly-dallying on the issue and had been pending the election to the office of the chief minister since April 3.

He said the opposition in Punjab had the support of over 200 MPAs, while Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, the nominee of the ruling coalition, could not claim backing of 150 lawmakers in the provincial assembly.

Murtaza wondered how Mr Elahi could claim having the support of 189 MPAs, when the total strength of the PML-Q in the house was 10 legislators.

The vote for the chief minister’s slot is scheduled to be held on April 16, but Hamza Shehbaz, the opposition’s candidate for the office, has moved the LHC seeking early poll as Punjab is without a chief executive since April 1.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2022