Punjab, Sindh to pick their CMs today

LAHORE/KARACHI: The new chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh provinces will be elected today. The session of the Punjab Assembly will be held in Lahore today at 11:00am.

In Punjab, PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif is the party’s candidate for the chief minister slot against Rana Aftab Ahmed of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) whereas in Sindh PPP’s Murad Ali Shah will face off Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) candidate Ali Khurshidi.

PTI – at the eleventh hour – named Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan as its new candidate for the post following the provincial police’s attempt to arrest its earlier nominee, Mian Aslam Iqbal.

PTI leader Hammad Azhar noted that party founder Imran Khan had earlier nominated Mian Aslam Iqbal for the post but heavy contingents of the police force were deployed outside the Punjab Assembly to arrest him.

Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) candidate for the Punjab chief minister slot, Rana Aftab met Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan after the verification of his nomination papers.

In the Sindh Assembly, the PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami would boycott the proceedings for the CM’s election. The PPP nominated Murad Ali Shah for the position of chief minister.

On the other hand, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has fielded Ali Khurshidi for the position of chief minister.

Numbers game

It’s noteworthy that the PML-N has a substantial number of candidates, adding to the competitive nature of the election. The oath-taking ceremony occurred on Friday, with 321 out of 371 members of the Punjab Assembly taking their oaths.

Read More: Punjab Assembly: New MPAs take oath in maiden session

Since PML-N and its allies have a clear majority in the House there are no obstacles for Maryam Nawaz to secure the top position.

A day earlier, PML-N clinched victory in the Punjab Assembly speaker and deputy speaker elections in the house numerically dominated by the party.

PML-N’s leader Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan was elected as PA Speaker, amassing a commanding 224 votes out of the total 327 cast in the house.

At the same time, Malik Zaheer Ahmed Channer, the PML-N candidate for the deputy speaker position, emerged victorious against Mohammad Moinuddin from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), garnering 220 votes.