Govt decides to complete tenure despite loss in Punjab by-polls

LAHORE: The coalition government has decided to complete its tenure despite a major loss in the recently-concluded Punjab by-elections, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The development was announced by Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique during a press conference after an important meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance parties held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The PML-N leader said that the provincial governments also have a right to complete the tenure, dismissing all speculation regarding the possible dissolution of the government following defeat in Punjab by-polls.

He further said that the coalition government has decided in principle that the next general elections in the country will be held on time as ally parties refused to budge under the pressure of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Saad Rafique also said the participants of the meeting also expressed reservations over Supreme Court’s verdict on Article 63-A. “We believe that the verdict is against the spirit of the Constitution and we request the SC to take up our plea against the verdict,” he added.

Speaking about the Punjab by-elections, Saad Rafique said that these elections cannot gauge the popularity of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as the party and the coalition government snatched five provincial assembly seats from PTI.

The railways’ minister added that the PML-N leadership has made sacrifices for democracy, adding that the party knows how to save its politics but it decided not to do so.

He also demanded that the verdict regarding the PTI’s foreign funding case should be announced soon.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI got successful on 15 out of 20 PA seats in Punjab by-polls on July 17, whereas, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) won over four seats. One seat was won by an independent candidate.