LAHORE: A minister in the provincial cabinet has claimed that all the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly will resign en masse in case Chief Minister Parvez Elahi does not follow the direction of party chairman Imran Khan to dissolve the elected house.

“I believe that Chief Minister Parvez Elahi will dissolve the house if and when Imran Khan directs him to do so. And in case he (Mr Elahi) does not [obey Mr Khan’s direction], all 178 PTI MPAs will tender their resignations [leading to the fall of the Elahi government],” Irrigation Minister Hashim Dogar told the media at a press conference here on Sunday.

Responding to a question about reports that the leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was trying to make inroads into the ruling PTI-PML-Q alliance to end its three-vote majority in the house through defections, he said that all “black sheep” had already left Mr Khan’s party and not a single “bad egg” was left now among the 178 MPAs.

“Only those will think of ditching Imran Khan who no longer wish to remain in the political arena. Also votes of the defectors will not be counted if cast against the party policy,” said Mr Dogar, former Punjab home minister, who had to resign days before the PTI’s recent long march on Islamabad for reportedly stating that the state machinery won’t be allowed to be used for the march.

The PTI minister claimed all the 10 PML-Q MPAs were also standing united with their party leader Chief Minister Parvez Elahi. “The regime change [in Punjab] talk is only an attempt to create uncertainty and anxiety among the people,” he added.

Answering a question, he also claimed if the assembly was dissolved, the coalition would return to power within three months by winning the next elections.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2022