LAHORE: Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari has lost the vote of no-confidence as the deputy speaker, as 186 votes out of 371 were cast against him in the Punjab Assembly.

The motion was tabled by the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) against Mazari, as a revenge for siding with the Pakistan Muslim League-N and its allies during the Punjab chief minister election. Mazari had not count 10 votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) in favour of the PTI candidate for CM office on the basis of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s letter. Later, the Supreme Court had announced the deputy speaker’s ruling as null and void.

PTI leader Fayyaz Chohan said whenever the deputy speaker would be appointed it would be PTI MPA Wasim Qayyum. He said through the no-trust vote Dost Mazari’s politics was ended.

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Earlier, PTI MPA Sibtain Khan was elected as Punjab Assembly speaker. Voting for the slot of Punjab Assembly speaker was held at the PA, after Parvez Elahi, former speaker, became chief minister.

The PTI and PMLQ had jointly fielded former Leader of Opposition in PA Sibtain Khan, whereas PML-N’s Malik Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar was the opposition’s candidate.

Sibtain received 185 votes and Saif 175 votes, while four votes were rejected.

Both candidates had submitted their nomination papers on Thursday, which were approved after scrutiny by the assembly secretary.

The ruling coalition had a strength of 186 MPAs, whereas PMLN, PPP and a few independents constituted 178 members. A tough contest was expected as the polling was held by secret ballot and the PML-N was mulling its strategy to stage an upset.

The session was presided over by Panel of Chairman Waseem Badozai. PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi were present in the house. Waseem Badozai swore Sibtain in as the speaker.