Why PML-N decided to expel five MPAs from the party?
What legal options these MPAs now have?
The MPAs include Ashraf Ansari (PP 57 Gujranwala), Jaleel Sharaqpuri (PP-139 Sheikhupura) Faisal Niazi (PP 209 Khanewal), Nishat Daha (PP 206 Khanewal) and Moulvi Ghayasuddin (PP 47 Narowal).
The party also decided to file references in the Election Commission against the expelled MAPs to disqualify them for violating the party discipline.The meeting with CM might not be strong ground for disqualification.
The MPAs has the option to contest the ouster from the party or resign from
their seats to contest the fresh election on PTI ticket. They can continue as
MPAs till the decision of Election Commission. It is more likely that they will
opt for legal battle to protect their seats instead of resign and reelection.
According to election laws, the question of disqualification arise only when A member of assembly votes against the party policy during the election of leader of the house and on budget. tHe members have to follow the party policy on both occasions.
On the other matters, they have the right to go against the party policies. They cannot change political loyalty or defect to any other party. pakistan has a history of defections and forming forward blocks. It seems that history is going to repeat itself. the lessons are learnt from past mistakes and practices. The politics of forward blocks and defections might benefit the ruling party in short term but it harm the political process in the long run.
We have seen the devastating consequences of confrontation between rival political parties in the 1990s.
This
decision comes after PML-N supreme leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif has toughen his stance on PTI government and establishment. The former
prime minister made a hard hitting speech in the APC of opposition parties on
September 20 after keeping the complete silence for nearly 10 months.
The former
PM has made two speeches in the top level meetings of PML-N leadership. Since
the APC and formation of opposition alliance PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement),
PML-N has decided not to cooperate with ruling PTI in the parliament. Nawaz
Sharif has also barred his party leaders to meet with military leadership.
Nawaz Sharif
is clearly on the collision course with ruling PTI and the powerful
establishment. In last two weeks, Nawaz Sharif has brought back the narrative
of ‘Vote to izzat doo’ and civilian supremacy. A narrative adopted by former PM
soon after disqualification by Supreme Court in Panama case.
In this
situation, the party leadership wants to send a strong message to party
parliamentarians to fall in line with party line and narrative or ready to face
action. Through these expulsions, the party sends a clear and strong message to
its members of parliament and provincial assemblies.
The other
reason seems to be that PML-N is preparing for the protest movement against PTI
government, so it wants to get rid of all those who are not ready to follow the
hard line of leadership. PML-N wants to make it sure that no such defections took place in the middle of the protest movement.
Let's see what happened now. What emerge as the result of this decision will be interesting to see. More defections, splits and a forward block or more cohesive and unified PML-N. Let's wait and see.
The decision
about expelling the rebel lawmakers was announced by PML-N Secretary-General
Ahsan Iqbal after the approval by leadership. In this connection, the document
was signed by Rana Sanaullah in his capacity as the provincial president.
PML-N has suspended membership of Lawmakers who visited CM Usman Buzdar in March 2020. But no further action was taken since then.
The Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) suspended the party membership of six Punjab
Assembly lawmakers and issued show-cause notices to them for “violating party
discipline and contravening rules” by meeting Punjab Chief Minister Usman
Buzdar and “expressing confidence in the prime minister’s and the CM’s
leadership.”
On March 10,
the six lawmakers, along with one Punjab Assembly lawmaker from the PPP, had
called on the Punjab chief minister.
According to
the notices, signed by PML-N Punjab General Secretary Sardar Awais Khan Laghari,
a “press release in electronic and print media on March 10 showed [the
lawmakers] meeting Buzdar. In the past, a meeting with the prime minister, who
is also the chairman of the PTI, was also held without any legal/moral
justification or prior intimation.”
It added
that the above information had not been denied by the lawmakers in the media.
“Hence, your basic party memberships have been suspended forthwith and you are
hereby directed to show cause as to why the violations were committed,” the
notice said.
It directed
the lawmakers to submit a reply in this regard within the next seven days,
adding that a failure to do so would result in legal action being initiated
against them.
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