Punjab CM Election: Moonis claims Shujaat asked party not to vote anyone
Pakistan
"I think there was a pressure on Chaudhry Shujaat," Moonis Elahi said.
LAHORE (Dunya News) - Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Moonis Elahi on Saturday claimed that he asked PML-Q head Chaudhry Shujaat that if he had written a letter to Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly ahead of the Punjab Chief Minister Election in which it was advised that PML-Q members will not vote Pervaiz Elahi as he was the candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He asserted that Chaudhry Shujaat had written a letter that members of PML-Q will note vote anyone.
Moonis further said that Chaudhary Shujaat said that Pervaiz Elahi should become the Chief Minister but not as a candidate of Imran Khan.
"I think there was a pressure on Chaudhry Shujaat," he said.
Earlier on Friday, the Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly Dost Mazari had rejected Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) 10 votes in favor of Punjab Chief Minister candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in light of party head Chaudhry Shujaat’s letter in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
While announcing the result, Mazari read Shujaat’s letter out loud. "As party head of Pakistan Muslim League, I have issued directions to all my provincial members to cast their votes in favour of Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz Sharif," Mazari quoted Hussain as saying.
After this, he declared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz Sharif as the CM Punjab.
Hamza had won the election after getting 179 votes and Pervaiz Elahi got 186 votes; however, after Chaudhary Shujaat’s letter, the Deputy Speaker rejected 10 votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) in Elahi’s favour.
The Deputy Speaker refused to count the 10 votes cast by the PML-Q MPAs citing Article 63 (1) (A) of the Constitution of Pakistan. Therefore, the parliamentary strength of the opposition alliance was reduced to 176.
