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LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz on Wednesday decided to remove the Pakistan People's Party’s ministers from the Punjab government, DawnNews reported.
PML-N sources said the decision was taken during a meeting headed by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.
The meeting also decided to assign two ministries to members of the Unification Bloc of disgruntled PML-Q MPAs.
The Unification Bloc MPAs expected to be appointed ministers are Dr Tahir Ali Javed, the bloc's head, and MPA Ata Maneka.
It is pertinent to mention that on February 15 the Punjab Assembly speaker accepted the identity of the Unification Bloc and agreed to allot them seats in the house separate from their parent party and recognised Dr Tahir Ali Javed as their parliamentary leader.
Following the Unification Bloc's recognition by the Punjab Assembly speaker, provincial ministers belonging to the PPP said it would be a disaster for the PML-N if it joined hands with new “commercial partners” of the PML-Q’s Unification Bloc.
The PPP is a junior coalition partner in the Punjab government spearheaded by chief minister Shahbaz Sharif of the PML-N after the 2008 general elections and there have been peaks and troughs in the three-year life of the alliance. The allocation of separate seats to the 47-strong Unification Bloc is being seen as yet another blow to the fragile political union by the senior partner.
“The PML-N leadership must learn from past experiences and should not start the politics of horse-trading,” Punjab PPP parliamentary leader Raja Riaz, who is also senior minister in the Punjab cabinet, said while talking to reporters last week.
