CM Punjab
\n\u2018Politically aware\u2019 MPAs might not vote for Elahi, minister says
\n ISLAMABAD
\nInterior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Thursday that 50 PTI members of Punjab Assembly (MPAs) can vote for PML-N\u2019s chief minister candidate Hamza Shahbaz on July 22 (tomorrow) \u2014 claiming that they might violate their party\u2019s policy.
\n\u201cNot five, but 50 PTI MPAs can either use their right to vote [for Hamza] or they might refrain from casting their votes altogether,\u201d the interior minister claimed while addressing a press conference.
\nSanaullah said \u201cpolitically aware\u201d lawmakers, who might understand PTI Chairman Imran Khan\u2019s \u201cwrongdoing\u201d, will not support their party\u2019s nominated candidate \u2014 Pervez Elahi \u2014 for Punjab\u2019s top office.
\nThe interior minister claimed that \u201cElahi does not deserve to become the chief minister\u201d and demanded he voluntarily withdraws from the race.
\nHe added that honourable lawmakers should \u201cnot waste\u201d their votes by on the PML-Q leader, who Khan had earlier termed a \u201cdacoit\u201d.
\n\u201cWe will use all our political options to the fullest,\u201d the interior minister vowed as he said that the PML-N was in contact with the opposition lawmakers.
\n\u201cThe ones in PTI, who still have a conscience, will not vote for Elahi,\u201d the interior minister said \u2014 just a day after he stated, \u201cPML-N will not let the Elahi become the provincial chief executive easily.\u201d
\n\u2018Two PML-N MPAs sold\u2019
\nBefore his press conference, Sanaullah, while speaking during Geo News\u2019 programme \u201cGeo Pakistan\u201d, claimed that two lawmakers of the PML-N took money to switch allegiance ahead of the chief minister\u2019s election in Punjab.
\nSanaullah accused the PTI of spreading propaganda and alleged that the two rebellious PML-N MPAs \u2014 Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri and Ghayas-ud-Din \u2014 took Rs100 million each to switch party loyalties.
\n\u201cThese 20 seats belonged to the PTI, five of which have been claimed by the PML-N. We will lead with a two-thirds majority when PML-N and PTI will come face to face,\u201d Sanaullah said.
\nHe further added that if the Supreme Court summons him to prove his allegation, he will tell the Court how the money was distributed and upon whose direction.
\nFollowing the ruling of the Supreme Court, a run-off election for the chief minister of Punjab is slated for Friday, where Elahi will face off against the incumbent chief minister, Hamza.
\nAfter the recent upset in the by-election, the PTI has swelled its ranks in the Punjab assembly to 188 votes, much above the 186 votes it needs for a simple majority in the House. While the PML-N and its allies have the support of 180 MPAs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CM Punjab \u2018Politically aware\u2019 MPAs might not vote for Elahi, minister says ISLAMABAD Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Thursday that 50 PTI members of Punjab Assembly (MPAs) can vote for PML-N\u2019s chief minister candidate Hamza Shahbaz on July 22 (tomorrow) \u2014 claiming that they might violate their party\u2019s policy. \u201cNot five, but 50 PTI MPAs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":266331,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[1635,7470,1446,683],"class_list":{"0":"post-272647","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-hamza-shehbaz","9":"tag-pti-mpas","10":"tag-rana-sanaullah","11":"tag-vote"},"yoast_head":"\n