Punjab Assembly: Police enters house, takes MPAs into custody after brawl

LAHORE: Hours after a number of MPAs attacked Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari, the Punjab Assembly session to elect new CM is yet to begin as the ruckus saw Punjab Police enter the house and take three protesting lawmakers into custody, ARY News reported.

Despite protest by former Speaker and Punjab CM candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi over police’s entry in the assembly, the law enforcement agency arrested three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs and reportedly tortured several others.

Later Pervaiz Elahi was also attacked after which he claimed that the attack on him was an “assassination attempt” as the attackers cried “Maar Do” (kill him) while hitting him.

Earlier, a number of ruling alliance MPAs attacked Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari and threw lotas at him forcing him to leave the house.

The ruling alliance’s MPAs were of the view that Dost Mazari has sold his conscience to opposition despite getting elected on PTI ticket and is therefore ineligible to preside over the session.

Pervaiz Elahi, Fawad Chaudhry criticize LHC decision

Fomer Speaker Pervaiz Elahi and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry both criticised the LHC decision which restored powers of Dost Mazari and ordered him to conduct CM Punjab’s election.

Both were of the view that the court doesn’t hold the right to interfere in the matters of legislature.

A two-judge Lahore High Court (LHC) bench had upheld a single bench’s April 13 verdict that restored the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker’s powers which were withdrawn last week and asked him to hold the polls for the Punjab CM slot on April 16.

The bench headed by Justice Shujaat Ali Khan dismissed appeals filed by PA Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, PML-Q Secretary General Kamil Ali Agha and PTI parliamentary leader in PA Sibtain Khan challenging the single bench’s verdict.

The bench ruled that PA Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari has the powers to preside over the assembly session.