Punjab

Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari resigns as Punjab minister

LAHORE, July 12 (SABAH): Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sardar Awais Ahmed Kham Leghari has resigned as provincial minister ahead of the crucial Punjab by-elections, scheduled to be held on July 17. It is expected that Sardar Awais Leghari will rejoin the provincial cabinet after the bye-polls being held on 20 constituencies of Punjab.

In the resignation addressed to Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, Sardar Awais Leghari said due to personal reasons he is stepping down from the provincial cabinet.

He shared his resignation on his official Twitter handle in which he said he “will continue to work in the best interest of Pakistan and PML-N”.

The development came ahead of crucial by-polls on the Punjab Assembly 20 seats which will decide the fate of Punjab government led by CM Hamza Shahbaz.

Last Saturday, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Provincial Health Minister Engineer Khawaja Muhammad Salman Rafique of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also resigned from their ministries to participate in electioneering for the upcoming by-elections in their respective constituencies in Punjab.

Provincial Home Minister Attaullh Tarar Advocate had said in a statement that both the leaders stepped down from their posts to run election campaigns for the ruling party candidates in the upcoming by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats.

Public office holders are not allowed to run or participate in the election campaign as per the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) code of conduct.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said in his resignation addressed to the prime minister that due to some personal reasons he was unable to serve as the federal minister.

The July 17 by-polls will be held in PP-7, PP-83, PP-90, PP-97, PP-125, PP-127, PP-140, PP-158, PP-167, PP-168, PP-170, PP-202, PP-217, PP-224, PP-228, PP-237, PP-272, PP-273, PP-282 Layyah and PP-288 constituencies.

On May 20, the ECP had de-seated 25 MPAs of the PTI for defying party directives and voting for Hamza Shehbaz for the post of the Punjab chief minister.

The reference against the dissident lawmakers sent by Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was accepted by the election watchdog for violating Article 63-A which pertains to defection.