By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) which is in power at the centre and in three of the four provinces is eyeing the fourth and the largest province of Punjab to form its own government there to consolidate its power.
“Our party leaderships considers it important to form the government in Punjab otherwise it would be difficult for the central government to function smoothly,” a PPP leader told IANS.
He said that with the PPP ruling at the centre and in three provinces and a PPP man – Asif Ali Zardari – in the presidency, the only hurdle for smooth functioning is the Punjab government.
“We have decided to overturn the government in Punjab by the end of the year,” the PPP leader said, requesting anonymity.
He said that Zardari has given the go-ahead to form a PPP-led government in Punjab with the help of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
After the February general elections, the PPP formed the government at the centre with the help of the PML-N and other parties while the PML-N formed the government in Punjab with the help of PPP.
However, after differences over the restoration of judges former president Pervez Musharraf had sacked after declaring an emergency last November, the PML-N pulled out from the coalition at the centre and asked the PPP ministers to quit from the Punjab government as the PML-N claimed it had won the support of some independent legislators and from some PML-Q dissidents.
Now, the PPP, which has appointed its hardcore leader Salman Taseer as the Punjab governor, is all set to dislodge the PML-N government and form its own government in the province with the help of PML-Q, which has been sending positive signals to the PPP leadership.
“Yes we can work with PPP in Punjab,” former Punjab chief minister and PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi told mediapersons in Lahore. Elahi who was appointed Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, Sunday resigned from the post in an obvious bid to support the PPP efforts to form a government in Punjab.