The country’s continuous political conflict has reached a turning point and is now being fought on the political, constitutional, and legal fronts. To prevent Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan from dissolving the Punjab Assembly, if not the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the PML-N and the Pakistan People’s Party have tabled a no-confidence vote against Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in Punjab. In addition, exercising his authority, the governor of Punjab called a meeting of the legislature on Wednesday and requested that the chief minister seek a vote of confidence from the body. Instead of calling the session, the speaker threw out the instructions. The governor’s instructions, according to Speaker Sibtain Khan, are “illegal, against the requirements of the Constitution, and so stand disposed of.” In his two-page judgement, he emphasised that the governor’s directives were in violation of Articles 54(3) and 127. A new session cannot be convened until the present one has ended. “The house has been in session since October 23, 2022, and is controlled by Articles 54(3) and 127. Through the introduction of a no-confidence motion, the PPP and PMLN hope to prevent the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly because, after such motions are submitted, the chief minister loses the authority to do so. The PTI has begun taking action to counteract the governor’s actions and the motion of no confidence since it has choices as well. Both sides are also engaging in retaliatory actions.
However, the relationship of trust between the PTI and the chief minister has been harmed by both Imran Khan’s accusations against former army chief General (R) Bajwa and Pervez Elahi’s adamant defence of Bajwa. Chief Minister Parvez Elahi claims he has already sent the dissolution summary to Imran Khan. As rumours circulate that Parvez Elahi may resign from his position as a chief minister rather than accept the vote of confidence, gambling begins. In that case, the PML-N and the PPP might propose that he run for reelection as a PDM candidate. Behind the scenes, there are twists and turns as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Zardari are heavily involved in the game. President Alvi and Ishaq Dar are also in contact, and Imran Khan is in talks. Jahangir Tareen, the unhappy leader of the PTI, has also become a part of political manipulation, and he claims to have the support of several members of the Punjab Assembly. He is trying to regain the lost ground, but the fact is his political career is over. Another issue is that, in the event of a vote of no confidence, 18 PML-N members will be unable to vote because the speaker has suspended them from the assembly. This and other legal issues are currently being litigated in the courts. It does not appear that such complex issues can be resolved quickly. Imran Khan’s desire to dissolve the assembly does not appear to be achieved if the succession of legal clarifications continues. While shady agreements may be used to swing the tide, as they have in the past, the PTI must also keep its lawmakers together. With the destiny of the country’s political future now in the hands of its MPAs, how many will stick to Mr Khan’s vision, and how many will defect? It appears that we must slog through the rest of this exhausting year with only more politics to dull our senses. Politicians are being put to the test right now, and the country is counting on them to make wise choices that will bring about political stability and address all of the nation’s issues, including the economy.
