Hamza Shehbaz re-elected Punjab CM after PML-Q's votes rejected

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz has been reelected as the chief minister (CM) of Punjab after votes of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were rejected by the Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker, ARY News reported.

According to details, Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari – who chaired the session – ruled that the votes of PML-Q lawmakers will not be counted in the election of Punjab chief minister in the light of party head Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s letter.

Pervaiz Elahi – joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q – received 186 votes, while Hamza Shehbaz got 179 votes. However. 10 votes of PML-Q were cancelled by Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, hence taking the figure to 176.

Raza Basharat counters Deputy Speaker’s ruling

Meanwhile, PTI Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Raja Basharat has countered the ruling of PA Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari, saying that the law states that the parliamentary party could issue instructions to party members.

He pointed out that the party chief was not authorized to give such instructions if the parliamentary party had decided to vote a certain candidate. He also read the order of the Supreme Court. “The head of the parliamentary party is Parvez Elahi,” he contended.

However, Mazari said that the matter had been clarified by the Supreme Court, subsequently proroguing the session.

Pervaiz Elahi, PML-Q MPAs cast votes

Pervaiz Elahi among all Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has voted to elect the new Punjab chief minister in the provincial assembly session.

According to ARY News, all 10 lawmakers of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid have cast their votes for Pervaiz Elahi – the joint candidate of PML-Q and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Shujaat Hussain refused to vote for Pervaiz Elahi

Minutes before the Chief Minister (CM) Punjab election, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain refused to vote for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidate Pervaiz Elahi, ARY News reported, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain excused himself from voting for Pervaiz Elahi, the joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q. It was learnt that Shujaat gave a clear message to Moonis Elahi.

PTI to file contempt plea over delay in PA session

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to file contempt plea for not starting the Punjab Assembly’s session for the chief minister (CM) elections.

In a statement, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the unnecessary delay in the Punjab Assembly session for the CM election was made in violation of the court orders.

He said that the lawyers have been directed to prepare a contempt of court plea. He announced to file the contempt of court plea against the deputy speaker in a while.

LHC bars police entry in PA

Meanwhile, the Lahore High (LHC) barred entry of police in the Punjab Assembly ahead of CM Punjab election. Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Sibtain Khan moved LHC against the deployment of police force inside the house.

Justice Muzzamil while announcing the verdict on Sibtain Khan’s plea, barred police from entering Punjab Assembly and ordered them to remain outside the assembly building. Police cannot enter the assembly until it is summoned, the verdict read.

It is pertinent to mention here that Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari wrote a letter to the provincial chief secretary on Thursday to seek special security measures during the Chief Minister (CM) elections.

New IG Punjab appointed

Separately, a new provincial police chief was also appointed moments before the session was slated to begin.

According to the notifications issued by Establishment Division, Rao Sardar Ali Khan has been replaced with Faisal Shahkar. Rao Sardar has now been appointed as Pakistan Railways inspector general with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, Faisal Shahkar, previously serving as the Railways inspector general has now been transferred and posted as the provincial police chief with immediate effect.

Number game

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has a clear majority in the Punjab Assembly, with Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi now most likely to replace Hamza Shahbaz Sharif as the new chief minister of the province.

During the by-elections in Punjab, the PTI grabbed 15 of the total 20 seats while PML-N won four seats and the remaining one seat went to an independent candidate.

Before the by-polls, the PTI and PML-Q had already attained the strength of 173 (163 of PTI and 10 of PML-Q). Now, with 15 additional seats, this strength has reached 188 whereas the figure of the simple majority stands at 186.

READ: MOONIS ELAHI SAYS NUMBER GAME COMPLETE FOR PUNJAB CM ELECTION

Meanwhile, the coalition government has 179 members – PML-N with 164 members, PPP with seven, three independents and one member of the Pakistan Rah-e-Haq party.