Tussle between Punjab Assembly's speaker, deputy speaker intensifies

LAHORE: The tussle between Speaker Punjab Assembly Parvez Elahi and Deputy Speaker Dost Muhamad Mazari on Thursday intensified after the former transferred 11 of the latter’s employees.

The speaker issued a notification to transfer 11 employees under the deputy speaker as the latter claimed that there was no justification for a late-night transfer of his employees.

“I will not be afraid of actions taken by the speaker,” Mazari said and further claimed that employees posted at his official residence are also being threatened.

The spokesman for the speaker, however, denied the allegations and said that no employee given to the deputy speaker as per the privilege he enjoys has been withdrawn.

“The deputy speaker enjoys services of 12 government employees,” the spokesman said, adding that four guards have also been deployed at the residence of deputy speaker.

The deputy speaker was assigned 40 guards for conducting the election process and they were later withdrawn after April 16, he said.

This is not the first time that two have taken action against their staff as previously Speaker Punjab Assembly Parvez Elahi suspended staff of Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari in what appears to be a tit for tat move after the latter suspended secretary Punjab Assembly.

The speaker while exercising his power suspended two assistant officers -Assistant protocol officer Muhammad Shahid, Assistant Protocol Officer Azeem Butt and Staff Officer Muhammad Aman Khalid.

“The speaker has also initiated an inquiry against the suspended officials,” they said.

Previously, Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari suspended Secretary Punjab Assembly Muhammad Khan Bhatti and Secretary Parliamentary Affairs Inayat Ullah Lak for April 16 incident.

The differences between the two have emerged after Mazari while acting on court order conducted the election of Chief Minister Punjab which resulted in victory of Hamza Shehbaz over Parvez Elahi.