Zardari assures Shujaat that Hamza Shahbaz will not be CM of Punjab

ISLAMABAD:

In a recent meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari pleaded with him not to dissolve the assembly and promised a new arrangement following talks, according to sources on Wednesday.

Days after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan threatened to dissolve provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the two leaders met on Sunday to discuss a new political approach.

In the conference conducted in Islamabad, issues of “common interests,” the country’s general position, Punjab’s present political crisis, fear of assembly dissolution, and other issues were discussed.
Tariq Bashir Cheema, a federal minister, and Rukhsana Bangash were present during the meeting.

According to the sources, Zardari gave Shujaat a guarantee that Hamza Shahbaz, the head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), would not be appointed Punjab’s chief minister under the new system. Shujaat promised the previous president that he would speak with Parvez Elahi, the chief minister of Punjab.

With his friends, Zardari has started conducting discussions about the political climate in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as a potential motion of no confidence against the Punjab chief minister.

The Imran Khan-led PTI has been attempting to pressure the current administration to call immediate elections and has been in discussions to set a date for the general election. If elections are not called, the PTI has threatened to dissolve the provincial assemblies.

CM Elahi stated that he did not anticipate elections happening in the upcoming four months. The federal and provincial administrations require time to function, thus elections cannot be held before four months; therefore, the elections may not take place until October of the following year.

Despite the PML-Q leader’s repeated claims that he completely supports the PTI leader’s choices, his words run counter to Khan’s threats to dissolve the legislature shortly.