Peshawar: The fate of the 124-member North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Assembly is hanging in the balance following the announcement by the ruling Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leadership that Chief Minister Akram Durrani would ask for its dissolution on October 2.
However, the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) and the Pakistan Peoples Party, with help from independent members of provincial assemblies, are planning to foil the move by moving a no-confidence resolution against Durrani.
They hope the no-trust move will buy them enough time to keep the NWFP Assembly alive so they can cast votes in the presidential election on October 6.
If it materialises, the move would deny the MMA and the All Parties Democratic Movement the opportunity to claim the democratically elected assembly if one federating unit of Pakistan did not take part in the presidential election.
This would further dent the credibility of the presidential vote and raise questions about General Pervez Musharraf's re-election as president.
The ruling MMA has announced the cut-off date is October 2. That is the day when Chief Minister Durrani will advise NWFP Governor Lieutenant General Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai to dissolve the provincial assembly.
The governor is bound to accept the advice even though he could delay the inevitable by choosing not to act.
