Pervez Elahi

gets trust vote

Bureau Report/DNA

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi finally obtained the trust vote late night on Wednesday. The 187 members of PTI and Q League were present in the assembly. Imran Khan and Pervez Elahi before the vote held a detailed discussion on the issue and decided to take trust vote.

Earlier, Punjab Assembly went through a chaotic day as government allies demonstrated the support for CM Pervaiz Elahi by bringing the required numbers into the assembly.

Earlier, in conversation with a private television channel, Fawad said that a total of 185 lawmakers of the PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were present in the session, while two members were on their way to the assembly. Later those members also reached the Assembly, he claimed.

Sources privy to the development said the team of the provincial government was in contact constantly to bring the lawmakers to the Punjab Assembly, adding that after the completion of the numbers game, the vote of confidence would be taken.

The development came after the Lahore High Court (LHC) ruled that the “governor is empowered to ask the chief minister to take a vote of confidence during an ongoing session” — a notion that the PTI had strongly rejected time and again.

The LHC’s order came when it held a hearing on CM Elahi’s plea against his de-notification by Punjab Governor Baligh-Ur-Rehman. The governor removed the chief minister from the post last month through a notification after he failed to take a vote of confidence within the stipulated time.

Fawad added that once the vote of confidence is taken, the petition filed in the high court would be withdrawn and the summary for dissolving both the legislative of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be sent today (Thursday).