Chaudhry Shujaat rules out dissolution of Punjab Assembly, snap polls

• All political leaders should make joint efforts to address country’s issues, says PML-Q chief.
  
• "Political leadership should address collective issues faced by masses," says Shujaat  
  
• Former PTI leader Chaudhry Sarwar offered to join PPP, PML-Q

Following a meeting with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that the Punjab Assembly will not be dissolved.

A JUI-F delegation headed by Senator Haideri visited Shujaat at his residence in Lahore and inquired after his health. He also extended best wishes to the PML-Q chief on behalf of his party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest and the unfolding political situation in the country — particularly in Punjab — came under discussion.

Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Shujaat ruled out any possibility of early elections in the country.

Stressing the need to bring the rising prices of flour under control, he said: “It is the responsibility of all the provincial governments to take action over the [illegal] increase in the prices of things.”

All the political leaders should make joint efforts to address the country’s problems, the PML-Q president said, adding that the issue of inflation should be given top priority by the leadership.

“The leadership should address the collective issues faced by the masses instead of promoting their political slogans,” he added.

On his part, Maulana Haideri criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and said that the former prime minister promoted a culture of abuses in the country.

Praising the PML-Q senior leader, he said: “Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is the name of tolerance and couth in politics.”

Chaudhry Sarwar offered to join PPP, PML-Q

As the battle for the ‘Punjab throne’ intensifies, former governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has been offered to join PPP and PML-Q, it was learnt from local sources.

The sources privy to the matter said that Chaudhry Shujaat met the former PTI leader twice today and offered him to join his party.

Confirming the reports, Sarwar said they met twice and discussed the current political situation in the country.

“Consultation underway regarding future politics,” he added.

A meeting was also held between him and former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani and Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood, he revealed.

“Instead of saving their politics, the political leadership should focus on the country’s situation,” he added.  

Khan takes U-turn on Punjab CM's trust vote decision

On January 7, backtracking from its earlier consensus, the PTI decided that Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi would not take a vote of confidence ahead of the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) January 11 hearing of a case pertaining to his de-notification.

On December 23, the LHC restored CM Elahi after Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman denotified Elahi for failing to take the vote of confidence from the provincial assembly.

However, after hearing arguments of the Punjab government and others, the LHC suspended the notification following Elahi’s undertaking he would not dissolve the assembly before the next hearing.

Later, the PTI held a consultative meeting at Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence and decided the voting would be held before January 11.

On Friday, in a change of heart, Elahi termed the governor’s directives as “illegal” and refused to follow them, forcing the PTI to come up with a counter-strategy.

According to the sources, the PTI has decided not to take a vote of confidence in the Punjab Assembly session on January 9 after input from the party’s legal minds.