All eyes will be on the Punjab Assembly today as the largest house of the country is set to elect its new leader, who will become the chief executive of the province. The much-awaited contest is between incumbent Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
Hamza is the joint candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and some independents, while Elahi is being backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). Although, Elahi enjoys support of more MPAs in the house, the PML-N thinks some PTI lawmakers will not show up. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Thursday said that 50 PTI MPAs can vote for Hamza, claiming that they might violate their party’s policy.
“Not five, but 50 PTI MPAs can either use their right to vote [for Hamza] or they might refrain from casting their votes altogether,” the interior minister claimed while addressing a press conference.
On the other hand, the PTI and the PML-Q believe that it will be a smooth sailing for Elahi and it is likely that they will “manage” some PML-N lawmakers by coaxing them into abstaining from vote.
Talking to a private television channel, PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi said that Parvez Elahi enjoys support of more than required lawmakers.
“The government’s defeat is imminent,” Moonis Elahi claimed, adding that their tactic of buying lawmakers will not work. The numbers game in the Punjab Assembly changed after the PTI grabbed 15 seats following the by-elections on 20 seats. Currently, the PML-N has support of 179 MPAs, while PTI is backed by 187 MPAs.
Hamza was elected as Punjab chief minister on April 16 after securing 197 votes in a violence-marred Punjab Assembly session. As many as 25 PTI MPAs voted for Hamza and later they were de-seated by the Election Commission of Pakistan for violating the party policy. On Thursday, 19 newly elected MPAs took oath during a session chaired by Speaker Elahi.
PTI’s Hasan Malik, Irfan Niazi, Ali Afzal Sahi, Mian Azam, Mehar Muhammad Nawaz, Khurram Shehzad Virk, Mian Akram Usman, Shabir Gujjar, Zaheer Khokhar, Ghulam Sarwar, Zain Qureshi, Amir Iqbal, Saif Khosa, Qaiser Abbas and Mozam Khan took oath as members of the Punjab Assembly. From the PML-N, Sabtain Raza, Fida Watto and Asad Khokhar took oath as MPAs. Independent candidate Syed Rafi ud Din also took oath as an MPA. However, Raja Sagheer of the PML-N didn’t take oath. The PML-N had earlier declared the ongoing session of the Punjab Assembly illegal but now they have endorsed its legality while taking oath as MPAs. They had been holding their parallel session at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal ever since Elahi refused to accept Hamza as the chief minister.
When the newly elected MPAs of the PML-N entered the house along with chief whip Khalil Tahir Sandhu, Elahi said that the government has admitted the constitutional legality of this session.
PTI’s Parliamentary Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said that the government used negative tactics against PTI’s candidates but it failed miserably and now Elahi will be elected as the CM of Punjab today. The newly elected MPAs of the PTI also delivered brief speeches while paying gratitude to their voters and party leader Imran Khan. Newly elected MPA from Multan Zain Qureshi said that he defeated an alliance of 11 parties despite the fact that the government machinery was used to defeat him.
Elahi announced that the election for the Punjab chief minister will be held at 4 PM today on the directives of the Supreme Court and it will be presided over by Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, who has written to the Punjab chief secretary and the inspector general of police, seeking security for today’s session.
In the letter, Mazari stated that security forces should be deployed during the PA session for the elections of the new chief minister.
As per the SOPs issued by Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti, guests will not be allowed while Speaker box, Officer box and guest gallery will remain closed on the election day. It further added that the Press Gallery will remain open to journalists. The SOPs issued by the secretary said that police will remain outside the assembly. It is also likely that violence and ruckus may return to the Punjab Assembly once again as witnessed during the last session when PTI lawmakers attacked the deputy speaker.
