LAHORE, June 27: The ruling PML has no plans to file disqualification references against two of its legislators who defected to the PPP on Tuesday and will hold them accountable for their betrayal by having them defeated in the next elections, says party secretary-general Chaudhry Zaheeruddin.
“We are not in favour of politics of references. We’ll go for political accountability of the deserters through their voters and get them tossed out of the political field,” he said while talking to Dawn on Wednesday.
There are reports that about a dozen PML MPAs are in contact with the PPP and are likely to switch loyalty in the near future.
Opposition leader Qasim Zia said those who had joined the PPP were disappointed with the performance of the ruling party and thus had responded to the call of their conscience.
In his opinion, the menace of defections could be contained by restoring the supremacy of the Constitution.
PML-N parliamentary party leader Rana Sanaullah likened the change of loyalty to political dishonesty, and said those wanting to quit one party and join the other should first resign from their assembly seats and then get re-elected on the ticket of the new party they had developed love for.
In case anybody changes loyalty without adopting this course, disqualification references should be moved against him, he said.
Chaudhry Zaheer said people hated the PML lawmakers who had joined the PPP for vested interests. “They stand no political future and will be defeated by the ruling party candidates.”
He said the defectors had been receiving development funds from the government, but they crossed over to the PPP when the assemblies were about to complete their term.
He ruled out the possibility of any more PML legislator joining hands with the opposition. At least no one elected on the ruling party ticket would like to switch loyalty as all of them were people of commitment and ideology, he said, adding the party was in contact with all its legislators.
Asked whether it was not a political mistake by the government to have opposed disqualification references moved against the ‘turncoats’ who had joined the ruling party after being elected on opposition parties’ tickets, the PML leader said: “They had joined us impressed by our manifesto and programme.”
He said all those who had joined the PML would be awarded tickets for the next elections, and they would win because of the government’s performance.
In response to a question, Zaheeruddin said people were in a better position to hold the defectors to account.
Opposition leader Qasim Zia said the PML legislators had joined the PPP unconditionally and on being disappointed with the government’s poor performance.
He said many more people were in line to join the PPP, and this should be a matter of concern for those in power.
Unlike the government which could offer funds, ministries and several other incentives to keep legislators with them, he said, the opposition had no baits to offer to make the lawmakers change their loyalties.
He said the opposition parties had filed disqualification references against their lawmakers who had moved to the treasury benches, but the speaker had blocked the process. He said the Punjab Assembly speaker had questioned the locus standi of the movers, because of which the references were still pending with him.
Qasim Zia claimed that more PML lawmakers could join the PPP in the near future. However, he said, the party would let them in after examining their suitability on a case-to-case basis.
Asked if the new entrants would be given party tickets for the next elections, he said a decision on the subject would be taken on the basis of merit. He said these people had joined the party unconditionally and the PPP already had its candidates for all seats.
He said the trend of defections would come to an end if the supremacy of the Constitution was restored and the infamous ‘law of necessity’ buried for good.
PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said parties should file references in case their lawmakers changed loyalties. He said even the speaker could move the reference on his own and the Election Commission of Pakistan would have to consider its maintainability.
The PML-N leader said in case any party accepted the defectors, it would be left with no justification to move disqualification references against its own people who changed loyalty.