Currently, in Punjab Assembly made up of 368, the opposition alliance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has 187 lawmakers and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led ruling coalition 179. Question is, will Hamza lose?
The polling for the new chief minister of Punjab is set to be held today (Friday), and the high-stakes elections will determine the future of the coalition government’s power in Punjab, the largest province of the country.
While the PTI/PML-Q alliance has a clear majority, the coalition government is making last ditch efforts to turn the tides in their favor. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chair, Asif Ali Zardari is currently in Lahore, meeting with PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain during his visit.
Zardari has also urged PML-Q leader and Punjab chief minister candidate Pervaiz Elahi to part ways with the PTI and join the coalition government, saying that otherwise their political fight would turn into ‘personal war’.
Zardari has conveyed his message to Pervaiz Elahi through PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who has already announced his support for Elahi
The former president is of the view that it is his moral responsibility to block Elahi’s way, which translates to ‘personal war’ instead of a political one.
On Wednesday, PTI MPA Chaudhry Masood Ahmed from Rahim Yar Khan resigned, leaving the party on edge, but no more defections have been reported since then.
Reaffirming his support for the PML-N, Zardari dispelled rumors of him engaging in horse trading, and said, “Why would I buy votes for Hamza? Had PPP’s Hasan Murtaza been a CM candidate in Punjab, I might have helped him.”
