ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has asked Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to first take the confidence vote from the provincial assembly and then decide about its dissolution.

Speaking at a news conference, senior PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry said that Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi first needs to take the confidence vote by showing the support of 186 members and then decide about the dissolution of the assembly.

“Show the support of 186 members to the nation and dissolve the assembly in the very next minute…How can a chief minister dissolve a provincial assembly who isn’t enjoying the support of the members required for the passage of the confidence vote in the house?” he asked.

The PML-N leader further said that his party was not afraid of going in the elections, for which a “fair environment” and a “level playing field” must be in place for all the heads of the political parties.

In an apparent reference that PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif should also be allowed to contest the general election by acquitting him in all the cases against him, Talal Chaudhry said that no free and fair election could be held in Pakistan unless a level playing field was in place. “Nawaz Sharif was disqualified for not taking salary from his son and Imran Khan was allowed to contest the polls despite not declaring his daughter [Tyrian White],” he maintained.

“So, rules should be set for the free and fair elections. For the charter of economy, first we have to prevent the default, the poor to be made able to run his kitchen, then going into the free and fair polls,” he added.

Talal Chaudhry also accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan of escaping the accountability process by getting stay orders in cases against him.

“A person who is demanding free and fair elections, but refraining from coming under any law. He wants the Articles 62 and 63 to be applied on his opponent, but he is not willing that the same articles are applied on him. How can a free and fair poll be held when Articles 62 and 63 are not applied against him [Imran Khan],” he asked.

He further accused the PTI chairman of submitting a mis-declaration and obtained the materials from Toshakhana in undervalued prices. “The price of a ring owned by Imran Khan’s wife is bigger than the three apartments of Sharif family in London,” he said, alleging that Imran Khan bought Rs6 billion worth of precious materials from Toshakhana in Rs15 million.

“Why aren’t you giving answers to the questions? Why are you hiding behind the stay orders and taking dates after date? Whether it’s the matter of your daughter, the issue of [Toshakhana] watch or the audio leaks…You have become an international embarrassment for Pakistan. A person who hasn’t declared his daughter is talking about accountability in the country,” he further maintained while criticising the PTI chairman.