Punjab political crisis: Hamza Shehbaz to return to Pakistan on Jan 5

LAHORE: Former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz is likely to return to Pakistan in the first week of January amid political crisis in Punjab, ARY News reported.

The PML-N stalwart would return to Pakistan on Jan 5 from the United States, say sources.

Hamza Shahbaz will preside over a meeting of the PML-N and coalition partners’ parliamentary parties upon his return to Pakistan, they say.

Hamza is returning to the country at a time when political crisis is brewing in Punjab as the PTI-backed Punjab CM Parvez Elahi aimed at dissolving the Punjab Assembly after securing a vote of confidence from the assembly.

Punjab’s ruling parties, PTI and PML-Q, wish to dissolve the assembly to force snap polls in the country.

In response, the ruling alliance at the centre is simultaneously throwing a gauntlet to the rulers in Punjab to go ahead with its dissolution plan while carrying out all efforts to stop the assembly from being dissolved.

Punjab Assembly (PA) Speaker Sibtain Khan had said Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi will dissolve the assembly after obtaining the vote of confidence.

Talking to the media in Islamabad, Sibtain Khan stated that Punjab CM will dissolve the assemblies after obtaining the vote of confidence since they were moving towards immediate elections.

He maintained that Imran Khan’s stance is clear that the assemblies should be dissolved on announce date as CM Punjab has the full confidence of members.