PML-Q issues notices to 15 ‘turncoats’

LAHORE, Feb 23: Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Zaheeruddin on Wednesday issued show-cause notices to 15 members who "turned disloyal to the party by forming unconstitutional and illegal Unification Bloc". A press release issued here said that after sending the notices, the next step would be filing of references against the turncoats with the Election Commission of Pakistan. The PML-Q was, however, reluctant to identify the names of the 'turncoats' who had been issued notices. The notices pointed out that these members were awarded the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid tickets by party president Pervaiz Elahi on their formal requests and they had betrayed the trust by opting to sit in the treasury benches under the garb of a so-called unification bloc which was not registered with the ECP. Their original party was the only opposition party in the house, they added. These members, the notices said, had been meeting the chief minister for their inclusion in the cabinet and were on record saying that their induction into the cabinet was not going to make any difference. The notices cited some public announcements in which the notified MPAs had openly declared that they would give their vote of confidence to the chief minister. Furthermore, they have been asked to explain as to how they can request the speaker to nominate one of them as the parliamentary leader and the opposition leader when according to the law the sole authority rests with the party president. The notices alleging "insincere and selfish motives of these turncoats" give them three days for replying to the charges. They clearly stated that in case of non-compliance, it would be assumed that they had accepted the charges levelled against them and the party would have no choice but to file references with the ECP for their disqualification through the speaker of the assembly. The speaker was constitutionally bound to forward these references to the ECP within two days of receipt, they added.