LAHORE: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar has said that either a no-confidence resolution will be moved or the governor will ask Chief Minister Parvez Elahi to take a vote of confidence any moment to pre-empt the dissolution of Punjab Assembly.

Talking to the media here on Friday, Tarar claimed there was no provision in law barring the initiation of a no-trust resolution against the chief minister while the assembly was in session.

“The speaker will have to take up our motion against the CM when we submit it. And it can be filed any moment. Besides, the chief minister will have to take a vote of confidence when asked by the governor,” he maintained.

The PML-N leader further claimed the party had many options and it would try its best to save the Punjab and KP assemblies from dissolution.

“In case both the assemblies are dissolved, the PML-N is ready to contest elections,” he declared, adding the party was already in opposition in both the provinces so it had nothing to lose if polls were held.

Mr Tarar further remarked that in case a no-confidence motion was tabled and neither the treasury nor the opposition had the required numbers, the imposition of governor’s rule could not be ruled out.

He also claimed that Chaudhry Parvez Elahi had at the time of tabling of a no-confidence motion against the then premier Imran Khan telephoned him and suggested the then PML-N-led opposition in Punjab bring a similar resolution against Usman Buzdar, fearing the former CM might dissolve the assembly on the orders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. Subsequently, the PML-N had submitted a motion against Buzdar.

Elahi had earlier claimed that the opposition could neither bring a no-confidence motion against him nor impose governor’s rule when an assembly was in session.

When asked if the establishment had become neutral, Tarar said: “When the establishment says it has become apolitical, we should not talk about it further.”

Earlier this week, the PML-N’s parliamentary party in Punjab had decided to use all ‘available tactics’ to foil the proposed plan of PTI chief Imran Khan to have the provincial assembly dissolved.

Meanwhile, the PTI senior leadership appears to have deferred the decision to dissolve the assemblies of the two provinces it rules as well as tender resignations from the Sindh and Balochistan legislatures till it completes consultation among party lawmakers.

Also on Friday, Mr Imran Khan ‘warned’ the federal government to sit and discuss a date for the next general elections or “we will dissolve the assemblies”.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2022