LAHORE, Aug 31: The presidential election will provide both the PML-N and the PPP an opportunity to gauge the level of support Chief Minister

Shahbaz Sharif has in the Punjab Assembly. And that will determine the fate of his government.

The number of votes to be cast in favour of the PML-N-backed presidential candidate Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui in the Punjab Assembly on Sept 6 will show whether the chief minister enjoys majority's support or not.

In case the former chief justice of Pakistan gets votes from 186 or more legislators, it will mean that the chief minister enjoys majority's support and his government faces no threat. But if the tally is not as much, he may be asked by the governor to seek a fresh confidence vote from the 371-member house.

Under the formula for the presidential election, if all 371 members cast their votes, they would be counted 65, or equal to the number of seats of the Balochistan Assembly where every legislator has one vote.

The PML-N leaders claim that more than 200 MPAs are supporting Mian Shahbaz Sharif at present.

However, PPP leaders dispute the claim.

PPP MNA Manzoor Wattoo, who is a former chief minister, said on Sunday that Mian Shahbaz Sharif had not more than 171/172 MPAs with him, if the PPP lawmakers were not included.

There are speculations that the PPP and the PML-Q plan to form a coalition in Punjab after the presidential election, pushing the PML-N to opposition benches.—Ashraf Mumtaz