Dissolving parliament: Punjab Assembly skips trust motion in agenda

A political rift between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi over dissolving the provincial assembly seems to have deepened after an agenda published for the upcoming session from January 9 failed to list a vote of confidence.

Moreover, around a dozen PTI members of provincial assembly have hinted at leaving the party or creating a forward block unless party chief Imran Khan stops targeting the armed forces.

An agenda of the upcoming session, the 42nd of the provincial assembly, released by the Punjab Assembly secretariat on Thursday showed that the assembly is due to meet for five days.

• On the first day, January 9, the assembly will discuss a bill on school education.

• On the second day, January 10, it would discuss local government community development bill.

• On the third day, it would discuss wildlife and dairy development bill.

-On the fourth day, Thursday January 12, it would discuss home affairs.

• On fifth and final day, it would discuss irrigation.

The agenda sent ripples through the PTI who were hoping that the vote of confidence – which would lead to the dissolution of the assembly – would be at the top of the agenda.

Sources in PTI questioned who authorized the release of such an agenda of the assembly session.

“It is curious that secretary of the Punjab Assembly issued the agenda without including vote of confidence motion,” the source said, adding that PTI Chairman Imran Khan has yet to utter a single word about the dissolution of the provincial assemblies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab, even though Imran Khan had announced to dissolve the Punjab Assembly.

The source further revealed that the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Sibtain Khan enjoys good relationship with Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and is backing the chief minister in the vote of confidence.

Divisions within PTI

A source disclosed that there were several PTI lawmakers who would withdraw their support from Imran Khan if he continues giving statement against the armed forces.

It is important to note that PTI senior members Momina Waheen and MWM MPA Zehra Naqvi both issued statements critical of Punjab’s chief minister and declared they would not support the CM Punjab during a move for a vote of no confidence