Pakistan's Punjab governor asks CM Elahi to seek vote of confidence in Assembly on December 21
The Hindu
Since Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman and former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari are active in political manoeuvring in Punjab, it is uncertain whether all PTI or PML-Q lawmakers turn up on December 21 to vote for CM Elahi
The governor of Pakistan's Punjab has asked Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to seek a vote of confidence from the provincial Assembly on December 21, hours after a no-trust move was submitted against him by the Opposition to foil ex-premier Imran Khan's plan of dissolving the House.
Pakistan's ousted prime minister Mr. Khan on Saturday made the much-awaited announcement that his governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will dissolve their provincial Assemblies on December 23 to push the PML-N-led coalition government in the Centre to call for fresh elections.
In an address to the nation via a video link from his Lahore residence where the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Ministers were also present by his side, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman said only fresh elections can steer the country out of the economic crisis.
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According to a notification issued late on Monday night, Punjab governor Baligur Rehman summoned the Assembly session on Wednesday at 4 p.m. (local time), directing Chief Minister Mr. Elahi to obtain a vote of confidence in terms of Article 130(7) of the Constitution.
The governor's announcement came immediately after a delegation of opposition lawmakers submitted the no-trust motion against Mr. Elahi.
Mr. Elahi has to make sure that he manages to secure 186 votes in the House on Wednesday to secure his position. If he fails to secure the vote of confidence, he would lose the power to dissolve the Assembly.
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