Lahore: PMLN secretary general, Ahsin Iqbal, announced expulsion of 5 members of Punjab assembly, who had called on chief minister Punjab, Usman Buzdar recently in violation of the party line.
These five members of Punjab assembly, who had held meeting with Usman Buzdar, were Jaleel Sharaqpuri, Ashraf Ansari, Faisal Niazi and Maulvi Giasuddin. The decision of expelling these party MPAs was announced after formal approval of PMLN Punjab president, Rana Sanaullah.
The senators who have been issued show cause notices for remaining absent from the joint sitting of parliament held recently included Ms Kalsoom Perven, Raheela Magsi, Dilawar Khan and Shamim Afridi. These senators had not attended very important joint sitting of parliament wherein the government had moved a controversial bill aimed at penalizing those involved in money laundering.
The PMLN had vowed to stop the bill seeking punitive action for those who would be found involved in money laundering, but despite having majority in parliament, opposition lost its fight to PTI government due to absence of it’s a few members.
The party leaders soon after the joint sitting had announced to take legal action against those its senators who ditched the opposition by remaining absent from the joint sitting of parliament.
The matter was taken up by the party leaders to PMLN supremo, Nawaz Sharif, who is in London for ‘treatment and action has been taken after his approval the deserters MPAs of Punjab assembly and absentee senators.
After expiry of show cause notice period, the party will file a case with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for deseating its MPAs who declined to follow the party line as well as those senators who remained absent from the joint sitting that subsequently allowed PTI government to approve the controversial anti- money laundering bill.
PTI government was in trouble as passing of anti- money laundering bill was a key demand of FATF to improve Pakistan’s position and decide its current grey status.
Since top leadership of PPP and PMLN are facing cases of money laundering in Pakistan, they wanted some favour from the government for favouring its anti- money laundering bill and get it passed.
The PTI government, however, made a shrewd move and allegedly managed some of the members of opposition to outnumber both major political parties and get its desired bill passed from parliament.