Hamza Sharif elected as Punjab Chief Minister in PA’s symbolic session

Hamza Sharif elected as Punjab Chief Minister in PA’s symbolic session

Web Desk
April 6, 2022

Hamza Sharif elected as Punjab Chief Minister in PA’s symbolic session

LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz was elected as a new chief minister by the joint opposition MPAs in a symbolic session of the Punjab Assembly (PA) held at a local hotel on Wednesday night.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI)’s Jahangir Khan Tareen and Aleem Khan groups held a symbolic Punjab Assembly session at the hotel in protest as the Punjab Assembly building has been locked out on Wednesday with barbed wires, amid confusion over the scheduling of all important session for the election of the new chief minister of Punjab after the resignation of Usman Buzdar.

It reported that as many as 199 members of the assembly who attended the symbolic session voted in favour of Hamza.

It is pertinent to mention here that Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has been nominated by the PTI whereas Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz has been nominated by the Opposition parties as CM candidate.

PML-N leader and MPA Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan claimed that more than 200 MPAs were present at the hotel for the session.

While talking to journalists on this occasion, Hamza Sharif said it was unfortunate that the assembly session could not take place today, as he slammed Speaker Pervaiz Elahi for barring MPAs and media personnel from entering the assembly’s building.

He maintained that the PTI and PMLQ were playing with the Constitution, slamming the PTI government for derailing the economy and worsening the crisis. “The stock market is bearish, while the dollar has reached a historic high.”

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on the occasion said the Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly followed PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s ideology and would “serve” the people of the province.

“Today, Nawaz Sharif took the revenge [from the PTI government] that stole the mandate of the people of Punjab. Blood was shed to restrict PML-N from forming a government in Punjab,” Maryam said.

The PML-N vice president further said she was “ashamed” after the Punjab Assembly was locked and journalists and members of the assembly were barred from entering the building.

She challenged the government to come and count that 200 MPAs were supporting Hamza Shahbaz.

Maryam again blamed that Usman Buzdar was not the chief minister of Punjab but it was Farah Khan, who was controlling him and the province.

“How did Farah Khan manage postings and transfers of government officials in Punjab? Whom did Farah Khan send the commissions to after the postings and transfers?” she questioned.

The PML-N leader went on to say that when the time comes, everything will be revealed.

Earlier in the day, heavy police contingents with batons, rescue 1122 officials and personnel of other law enforcement departments were seen alert outside the Punjab Assembly building where the proposed session was to take place.

The ongoing political drama on took another turn when the PTI submitted a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari [of the PTI] after he insisted the session for the CM’s election to take place on Wednesday [at 7:30 pm]. A spokesperson for the provincial assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has denied the development.

According to the PML-Q spokesperson, the motion seeking the removal of the deputy speaker was filed at the office of the Punjab Assembly’s secretary by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and PML-Q lawmakers.

In the motion, the lawmakers have said that Mr Mazari had lost the confidence of the majority of the house and proceedings of the Assembly were not being carried out according to the Constitution.

They maintained that in light of the “current situation in the country, he (Mazari) had eradicated democratic norms in the provincial assembly of Punjab”.

“We, the members of PTI and PMLQ, hereby give notice under 53 (7) (c) read with Article 127 of the Constitution under rule 12 of the Rules of Procedure Provincial Assembly of Punjab, 1997 for the resolution for removal of the deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly,” the motion read.

Following the submission of the no-confidence motion, the PML-Q spokesperson said Mazari had no longer authority to call the assembly session.

Furthermore, Punjab Assembly speaker issued a notification, withdrawing all the powers delegated to his deputy [Mazari].

According to rule 12, a no-confidence motion against a speaker or deputy speaker shall be entered into the provincial assembly’s List of Business for the first working day after the expiry of seven days of the receipt of the notice. The rule further says that “no other item shall be included in the List of Business for the day fixed for a motion for leave to move a resolution”.

Article 53 (7) (c) of the Constitution also pertains to the removal of a speaker or deputy speaker, stating that “the office of the speaker or deputy speaker shall become vacant if he is removed from the office by a resolution of the assembly, of which not less than seven days’ notice has been given, which is passed by the votes of the majority of the total membership of the assembly.”

The PML-N MPAs as well as dissidents from the PTI converged at the assembly gate and protested for what they termed blatant violation of the law and constitution. Similarly, the PTI has also given a call to its MPAs and party workers to come to Punjab Assembly to register their protest against horse-trading buoying votes of PTI members by the PML-N.