Daily Times

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Thursday claimed that 50 PTI members of Punjab Assembly could vote for Hamza Shahbaz in the election for chief minister on July 22. “Not five, but 50 PTI MPAs can either use their right to vote [for Hamza] or they might refrain from casting their votes altogether,” Sana said while addressing a press conference. Sanaullah said “politically aware” lawmakers will not support Pervaiz Elahi. He claimed that “Elahi does not deserve to become the chief minister” and demanded he voluntarily withdraws from the race.

He added that honorable lawmakers should “not waste” their votes by on the PML-Q leader, who Khan had earlier termed a “dacoit”. “We will use all our political options to the fullest,” the interior minister vowed as he said that the PML-N was in contact with the opposition lawmakers.

“The ones in PTI, who still have a conscience, will not vote for Elahi,” the interior minister said – just a day after he stated, “PML-N will not let the Elahi become the provincial chief executive easily.”

Talking to a news channel before his press conference, Sana claimed that two lawmakers of the PML-N took money to switch allegiance ahead of the chief minister’s election.

He accused the PTI of spreading propaganda and alleged that the two rebellious PML-N MPAs – Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri and Ghayas-ud-Din – took Rs100 million each to switch party loyalties.

“These 20 seats belonged to the PTI, five of which have been claimed by the PML-N. We will lead with a two-thirds majority when PML-N and PTI will come face to face,” Sanaullah said, says a news report.

He added that if the Supreme Court summoned him to prove his allegation, he will tell the court how the money was distributed and upon whose direction.

Following the ruling of the Supreme Court, a run-off election for the chief minister of Punjab is slated for Friday (today), where Elahi will face the incumbent chief minister Hamza.

Sana said the PML-N believes that Elahi doesn’t deserve to be appointed as the chief executive of the province. He indicated that any of the MPAs not showing up for the elections would be due to ‘Elahi’s incompetence’.

“He is the same man who was once called a dacoit by Imran Khan. “In Elahi’s eyes, the value of the assembly is such that he has said he won’t think twice if Imran Khan asks him to dissolve the assemblies,” the PML-N leader said.

The minister rejected the PTI’s claims that PML-N was “buying” its party members. “We were never involved in such politics and would never indulge in it in the future.”