By-polls if assemblies dissolved: Awan

ISLAMABAD - Former federal minister and senior PPP leader Dr. Babar Awan has termed the idea of dissolution of Punjab Assembly by the crony of PML-N as a conspiracy against democracy and the Federation of Pakistan. Flanked by the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz and former federal minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf here on Monday, Babar said that in past the dictatorial forces had overthrown the constitutional institutions but now political people were intending to do the same. He said that actually the move was the brainchild of the Punjab government and Dr. Tahir Ali Javid was just a pan in the whole move. He announced that they were planning to send a reference to Election Commission seeking disqualification of Dr. Tahir Ali while the PPP Senator Sabir Baloch would be filing an adjournment motion in Senate and Leader of Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz would also file an adjournment motion in the Punjab Assembly with the signatures of some 150 MPs. He further suggested the Punjab Assembly Speaker to move a reference to Election Commission for the disqualification of a member who had floated such an undemocratic idea of dissolution of the elected provincial assembly. He said that if the Punjab government was not behind this move it should prove it by dissociating itself from the unification bloc headed by Dr. Tahir and would also take action against him in shape of moving a reference for his disqualification. To a question about the recommendation of Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bokhari for the slot of Chairman NAB, Babar said that in the Constitution the word consultation was written and they would do it with the Leader of Opposition but consultation did not mean taking dictation from anyone. He further said that Admiral Bokhari was not acceptable to N-League because he had resigned when Nawaz Sharif had given out-of-turn promotion to the then Chief of Army Staff. Criticising Nawaz, Babar Awan said that instead of strolling on the mountains of Abbottabad or moving in the flood-hit areas he (Nawaz) should focus on improving the governance in Punjab. Raja Riaz said that the Medical Superintendent of Jinnah Hospital had briefed the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on the impending threat from dengue some five months back but he had not taken any step and the result was before the nation in shape of around 200 deaths in Lahore alone. He said that Shahbaz had messed up with the governance of the province and was a complete failure. Former Federal Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that if any attempt is made to dissolve Punjab Assembly, they would go for by-elections and would not let the N-Leaguer succeed in their plans to wind up the incumbent democratic order.

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