PML-N moves LHC against Speaker Punjab Assembly's election

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has challenged the election of PTI’s Sibtain Khan as speaker Punjab Assembly in the Lahore High Court (LHC), alleging that the poll was not held through secret ballot, ARY NEWS reported.

The appeal from PML-N was moved by Mansoor Usman Awan stating that the election process did not fulfil constitutional and legal formalities.

“The election for speaker is held through a secret ballot and printing serial numbers on the ballot papers for the election held on Friday violated the legal and constitutional binding,” it said and demanded of the LHC to declare the election of Sibtain Khan as null and void and order a re-election of the speaker Punjab Assembly.

It is pertinent to mention here that PTI candidate Sibtan Khan was elected as the new speaker of the Punjab Assembly on Friday.

Sibtain Khan won the election after securing 185 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Saif ul Malook Khokhar obtained 175 votes. He was later sworn in as the speaker.

Four votes were rejected out of the 364 votes cast during the session, which was chaired by Panel of Chairman Wasim Badozai. The rejected votes included three of the Opposition and one of the PTI.

The voting was temporarily halted after the opposition benches alleged foul play. PML-N’s candidate Saiful Malook Khokhar raised objections over the serial numbers on the ballot papers and reportedly threw them away.

However, polling resumed later, following which former chief minister Hamza Shehbaz cast his vote.