LAHORE – Momina Waheed, a former member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has come up with an explanation for her decision to go against her party’s policy to vote in favour of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
Punjab Governor Baligh Ur Rehman had asked Elahi a couple of weeks ago to seek vote of confidence from the Punjab Assembly to prove that he still enjoys support of the majority. On Thursday, Elahi sought vote of confidence from the house early in the morning.
During the voting process, 186 MPAs of the PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) voted in favour of Elahi and he was able to prove his majority in the house. However, Momina Waheed and four other MPAs of the PTI did not turn up on the voting day despite party’s instructions.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, Momina Waheed wrote, “I took the oath of loyalty to Pakistan, not to a person who considers his ego bigger than Pakistan.”
میں نے حلف پاکستان کہ ساتھ وفاداری کا اٹھایا تھا
نہ کہ ایسے شخص کہ ساتھ وفاداری کا جو پاکستان سے بڑھ کر اپنی انا کو سمجھتا تھا pic.twitter.com/AaEsYFxDy7— Momina Waheed MPA (@MominaWaheedpk) January 13, 2023
As Momina Waheed stayed away from the voting process, she came under severe criticism for ditching her party despite the fact that the PTI had brought her into the Punjab Assembly on a seat reserved for women.
CM Parvez Elahi advises governor to dissolve Punjab Assembly
According to the personal details available about her on Punjab Assembly’s website, Momina Waheed, wife of Waheed Ahmed, was born in Sialkot on October 23, 1983. She graduated in 2004 from the Government Degree College for Women, Sialkot. She was a house wife before she was selected member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab after the General Elections 2018 against one of the seats reserved for women.
During her tenure as a lawmaker in the Punjab Assembly, Momina Waheed served as chairperson of the Standing Committee on Chief Minister’s Inspection Team; member of the syndicate, Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad; and member of PEPRA. She also served as spokesperson for the Punjab government.