MPAs-elect take oath in Punjab Assembly

LAHORE: The inaugural session of Punjab Assembly has commenced Wednesday (today) in which elected members of the provincial legislature took oath.

The first session of Punjab Assembly witnessed the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected members in the provincial legislature.

In the house of 371 members Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s 179 MPAs, whereas 164 members of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz and 10 members of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid took oaths of their office, in addition to seven MPAs-elect of Pakistan Peoples Party and three independent candidates also sworn in.

Among overall 371 seats of Punjab Assembly 297 members are elected by direct election, while 66 seats of the legislature are reserved for women and eight seats reserved for religious minorities.

The assembly has presently 365 members elected in July 25 elections, while the result of three constituencies has been withheld by the election commission. Moreover, elections could not be held at three other seats due to death of a candidate or some other reason.

The election for the positions of speaker and deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly will be held on August 16, after which the new chief minister will be elected through secret balloting.

PML-N has nominated Hamza Shehbaz Sharif for the office of Punjab chief minister. The PTI is yet to announce its nominee for the post.

PML-N has also put forward the name of Chaudhry Iqbal Gujjar as its candidate for Punjab Assembly’s Speaker.