IK Keen On Dissolving Punjab, KP Assemblies 'Very Soon': SMQ

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Wednesday that party chairman Imran Khan was keen on dissolving the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly “very soon”.

The former foreign minister made the comments while speaking to journalists.

He said the PTI desired both: elections across provinces be conducted and provincial governments in place before Ramazan commenced. Qureshi said Imran desired provincial legislatures dissolved without further delay. The “fast-deteriorating” state of the economy, he said, was also discussed. The governing coalition, he said, had no plan to remedy the challenge.

Party chairman Imran Khan had earlier announced in November that all party lawmakers will abandon both: national and provincial assemblies. The PTI supremo made the remarks at a power show in garrison city Rawalpindi where the party’s long march for haqeeqi azadi — full sovereignty reached earlier. Khan’s address marks the first time he joined the march following the Wazirabad attempt at his life. The PTI chief said the party will completely disassociate itself from what he termed a “corrupt system”. In an anti-climax, he said the long march will not proceed to federal capital Islamabad citing the prospect of anarchy.

Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, however, is said to be in no mood to readily dissolve the provincial legislature. Journalist Shahid Maitla said earlier on Monday that Elahi will never readily agree to this since he knew well that this was his final stint as Punjab chief minister. He made the comments in flagship Naya Daur show Khabar Say Aagay.

The journalist said one might very well see PTI chairman Imran Khan delivering a statement on how having Elahi appointed was a great mistake. He said Elahi’s actions — the converse of the PTI chairman’s should make it abundantly clear how the two political forces will stand apart in the next general elections.