Pakistan: Punjab Assembly session marred by chaos as PTI lawmakers attack Deputy Speaker
PTI, PML-Q members boycott Chief Minister’s election paving the way for Hamza Shahbaz
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Assembly’s session to elect new chief minister of the province on Saturday was though marred by chaos and clashes for hours, yet it paved the way for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led opposition’s joint candidate Mohammad Hamza Shahbaz to be elected new chief minister as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members along with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) boycotted the voting process as a mark of protest.
It all began with the attack by the PTI Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) on the Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari at the outset of the session that was convened for election of the chief minister after repeated delays.
Deputy Speaker Mazari was directed by the Lahore High Court (LHC) a day earlier to conduct the session and ensure voting was held conclusively for the election of the chief minister.
After the attack on the chair, the assembly session was delayed once again though the members from the opposition benches kept sitting on their seats and expressed their resolve that they would not leave the building unless the voting process was concluded.
Pervaiz Elahi whose PML-Q has 10 votes in the assembly enjoyed the support of the PTI which is the largest party with 183 votes.
However, Pervaiz’s biggest worry was 24 members of the PTI who had refused to cast their votes in his favour and decided to go against the party’s decision.
Police called in to restore order
In accordance with the court’s orders, when Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari entered the assembly hall, he was attacked by members of the treasury benches, who threw lotas (water pots) — a symbol disloyalty to party — at him and even went to the extent of manhandling him and dragging him from his chair.
However, the assembly’s security guards came to his rescue and shifted him to his chamber.
Immediately after the ruckus, Dost Mohammad Mazari in a letter wrote to Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab to provide him with necessary assistance to maintain law and order inside the assembly’s hall for peaceful conduct of chief minister’s election.
In order to comply with the Deputy Speaker’s request, the Punjab government’s anti-riot police was called in to prevent the things from going worse.
However, when the police entered the assembly building, chaos broke out and one could see scenes of physical clashes and fights among the members and with the police too.
Five members arrested
The police commandos along with anti-riot force arrested five MPAs, Wasiq Abbasi, Nadeem Qureshi, Ejaz Khan, Taimoor Ahmed and Umar Tanveer for attacking the Deputy Speaker.
Amidst the ruckus, Perviaz Elahi was also injured and was taken to his chamber for first aid. However, finally the members of the PTI and the PML-Q staged a boycott and the Deputy Speaker resumed the chair and ordered voting for the new Leader of the House in the assembly.
In order to become Chief Minister of the province, at least 186 votes are required in the 371-member house. The PML-N with 165 votes is the second largest party in the assembly and with Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) seven votes and 24 votes of the dissidents of the PTI, it claims more than 194 votes.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the past used his influence in delaying the assembly’s session twice because he reportedly has lost the majority votes in the assembly.