PTI submits no-trust motion against Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari

LAHORE – The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday submitted a no-confidence motion against its own Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari after he summoned a session to vote for new chief minister in a surprise move.

It all started when Mazari issued a notification to hold the Punjab Assembly session at 7:30 pm today instead of April 16. 

Voting for the CM election was originally scheduled for April 3 but it was moved to April 6 due to ruckus in the provincial assembly and the deputy speaker on Tuesday delayed it until April 16. 

PML-Q’s Pervaiz Elahi and PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz Sharif are in the race to become next chief minister after PTI’s Usman Buzdar resigned from the post on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Defending his decision to call urgent session of the provincial assembly, he told media that the move was made in light of the Supreme Court’s yesterday proceedings when advocate general Punjab had assured the top court that election for CM Punjab will be held on April 6.

The Mazari’s move has angered PML-Q, which is making efforts to achieve numbers to get Elahi elected as next chief minister after several PTI leaders defected from the party. 

PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi said that they will not obey the order of the deputy speaker, adding that the assembly session cannot be held today until a gazette notification is issued in this regard. 

Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly secretariat spokesperson also said that the session cannot be held today. 

Amid prevailing political uncertainty, a heavy contingent of police has been deployed outside the Assembly to avoid any untoward incident.