LAHORE: Muhammad Sibtain Khan, the joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q, was elected Punjab Assembly speaker after securing 185 votes against PML-N’s Saiful Mulook Khokar, 175, during the session on Friday.

“Sibtain Khan will be the new custodian of the House,” Wasim Badozai, the chairperson of the panel, announced as he declared the joint candidate the winner of the poll. The session started at 5:09pm, behind its scheduled time of 4:00pm.

Votes of four lawmakers were rejected. The office of the speaker fell vacant when Sibtain’s predecessor Pervaiz was elected Punjab CM.

Later, Badozai administered the oath of office to newly-elected Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain. The newly elected speaker thanked PTI Chairperson Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi for their support.

The carrying of mobile phones was banned during the election as it was conducted through a secret ballot, the assembly secretariat said. It added that media persons were also not allowed to take mobile phones in the press gallery.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader Khalil Sindhu wrote a letter to a panel, comprised of the chairperson, deputy speaker, and assembly secretary, to express his reservations over the conduct of the election.

Dost Muhammad Mazari ousted via no-trust vote

Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari was ousted through a vote of no-confidence during the House session on Friday. The PTI claimed it to be their second victory after the election of the assembly speaker.

The motion, which was moved by PTI leader Raja Basharat, was passed by the House. The treasury benches managed to get the required 186 votes to oust Mazari, however, the opposition did not participate in the process.

PTI leader Shireen Mazari hailed the development and slammed PML-Q’s Mazari.

“Dost Mazari the disgraced deputy speaker is removed from his post thru 186 votes cast against him in Vote of No Confidence. Humiliation for this lota from Rajanpur. 2 major political successes for PTI along with its ally PMLQ in Punjab today,” she said in a tweet.

A secret ballot would be held for the election of the deputy speaker tomorrow (Sunday) at 1pm, said the assembly schedule.

PTI leader Fayyazul Hassan Chohan in a statement said that 186 members of the provincial assembly “buried the politics of lotas [defectors]” and claimed that Wasiq Qayum would be elected the deputy speaker.

Background

Pervez was sworn in as the chief minister in the wee hours of July 27 after the Supreme Court annulled Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling, the former Punjab Assembly deputy speaker, over rejecting PML-Q votes during the CM election.

The apex court had ordered the Punjab governor to administer the oath of office to Pervez. But the governor excused himself from the duty.

President Arif Alvi then administered the oath of office to Pervez at the President’s House, Islamabad. Pervez had flown from Lahore to Islamabad for the swearing in ceremony.

The top court in its 11-page short order accepted Elahi’s plea and declared him the lPunjab chief minister. It said that the formation of the Punjab cabinet and the election of PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz as chief minister was illegal.

“Likewise all acts, deeds and things attendant and consequent upon such oath including but not limited to the notification of Respondent No.2 (Hamza Shehbaz) and the formation and swearing in of the Cabinet on his advice is also declared to be without lawful authority and of no legal effect,” the order stated.