PML-N challenges election of Speaker Punjab Assembly in LHC

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has challenged the election of Speaker Punjab Assembly in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The petition has been fixed for hearing and a two-member bench will hear the case on Monday (August 1).

A day after the elections of the speaker of the provincial assembly, PML-N challenged the election naming the newly elected speaker Sibtain Khan and others as respondents.

The petition filed by Saif ul Malook Khokhar through Mansoor Usman Awan has stated that legal requirements were not fulfilled in the elections. It has been stated that the process was to be conducted through a secret ballot. It also said that the serial numbers mentioned on ballot papers were a violation of the constitution.

The petitioner has demanded to declare the recent polling null and void and the reelection of the speaker should be announced.

The petitioner has also stated that under the constitution only the governor could decide the date for the speaker’s election. Khokhar has argued the court to declare the election void and issue directives for holding the poll in accordance with the provisions of Article 226 of the constitution.

“It is the prerogative of the governor to fix a date for the election of a new speaker if the assembly is in session, as soon as possible during that session, and if the assembly is not in session, at the commencement of the next session,” the petition stated

Ata Tarar while speaking to the journalists outside the court had said that they wanted re-election. MPA Rana Mashood at the moment said that the panel of Chair has been requested to not accept the election. Demanding the court for fixing the petition for hearing on the same day, he also said that until the verdict of the petition no assembly proceedings would take place.

Sibtain Khan was the joint candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) for the seat of speaker of the Punjab Assembly. The seat had been vacated on July 26 after the previous speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi was elected as the Chief Minister.

In the election for speaker, Sibtain had secured 185 votes whereas the joint candidate of opposition parties and PML-N’s MPA Saif ul Malook Khokhar could get 175 votes.