Imran ‘intends to dissolve’ Punjab, KP assemblies in next few days, claims Qureshi

LAHORE           -        As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is dragging its feet on its intended political move of dissolving the two provincial assemblies to press for early elections, a PTI MPA from Faisalabad Khayal Ahmad Kastro formally inducted into the Punjab cabinet on Wednesday afternoon, signifying thereby that Punjab Assembly would remain intact at least for the next four months as stated by Punjab Chief Minister Ch Parvez Elahi in an interview to a news channel couple of days back. Ironically, the same day in the evening, party’s Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi told media persons that the PTI chairman Imran Khan intended to dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and KPK in the next few days. And it sounded even more paradoxical when Imran Khan expressed his ignorance about the elevation of Mr Kastro as the provincial minister in a meeting with the latter on Wednesday evening. “Oh, you have become a minister! But I was told you were being made head of a department”, the PTI chief reportedly told Kastro when he went to see the party chief at his Zaman Park residence immediately after taking oath as minister. But may be the PTI chairman did not know that when an elected member of an assembly is made political head of a department, he must be assigned the portfolio of a minister. Also, a PTI huddle chaired by Imran Khan here in Lahore ended without any decision about a precise date to dissolve the two provincial assemblies where the PTI is in power. Senior PTI leaders including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry and Dr Shireen Mazari were part of this important meeting which had been called to discuss the party strategy in the aftermath of embarrassing statements coming from Ch Parvez Elahi and his son Moonis who are allies with the PTI in Punjab. Their shocking disclosures about Gen (retired) Bajwa and making their divergent stance public on Punjab Assembly’s dissolution have been making waves in a situation when the PTI had upped the ante in its political conflict with the PDM government to enforce early elections. “The PTI leadership has authorised the party chairman Imran Khan to make decision about dissolution of assemblies, and he intends to dissolve the two legislatures of Punjab and KPK in the next few days”, this what Shah Mahmood Qureshi could share with the media as an outcome of the party meeting.

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