Chief Minister Parvez Elahi turns down PTI minister Hasnain Dreshak’s resignation

LAHORE, Dec 25 (SABAH): Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi on Sunday rejected the resignation tendered by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Hasnain Hasnain Dreshak as provincial minister for livestock and dairy development after verbal spat with him.

The chief minister, in a statement, said Dreshak would continue to perform his responsibilities as a cabinet member. He also praised the PTI lawmaker as a competent minister of his cabinet, saying he was running his ministry in a better way. “Sardar Hasnain Bahadar Dreshak is like Moonis Elahi for me,” he said.

The development comes as the PTI has announced that Mr Elahi, who was reinstated by the Lahore High Court on Friday by suspending Governor Balighur Rehman’s notification, would obtain vote of confidence from the assembly. To this, the PTI and PML-Q are required to show the required numbers in the assembly to win the trust vote.

Last week, Dreshak resigned from the post after a heated exchange of words with the chief minister at the a cabinet meeting. The PTI leader engaged in a war of words with the chief minister when the latter cut in on his conversation at the meeting. At a point, the minister rose to his seat and left the meeting midway out of anger.

Several ministers were trying to express their views at a time but the chief minister suggested that there should only be one person talking at a time. But, his call for following the discipline was ignored and Dreshak started speaking again.

When he was interrupted by the chief minister again, he announced his resignation from the position in a protest.