LAHORE – Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was elected new speaker and Malik Zaheer Ahmed Channar was elected deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly on Saturday.
Khan got 224 votes, while Channar secured 220 votes. As many as 327 MPAs cast their vote to elect the Punjab Assembly speaker.
Meanwhile, in the election of the speaker, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidate Ahmad Khan Bhachar bagged 96 votes, while two votes were rejected out of the total 322 ballots cast during the polling.
The Punjab Assembly session to elect the House’s speaker and deputy speaker kicked off on Saturday after a delay of one-and-a-half hours as the protests inside and outside the legislative marred the timely beginning of the meeting.
The second session of the newly-elected provincial assembly, presided over by outgoing Speaker Sibtain Khan, saw members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chanting slogans against each other.
A heavy police force and prison vans were also present outside the assembly to ensure the maintenance of law and order during the assembly session.
Voting is underway for the election of speaker and deputy speaker seats in Punjab assembly.
The session of local legislature in the provincial capital started with more than one hour delay as outgiong Speaker Sibtain Khan is presiding over proceedings.
The election is being held through secret balloting, with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Malik Ahmed and Sunni Ittehad Council’s Ahmed Khan contesting for speaker slot. Zaheer Iqbal would be up against Moin Riaz for the deputy speaker position.
On Friday, 313 members of provincial assembly took oath administered by Speaker Sibtain Khan.
The maiden session of the new assembly started more than two hours later than planned due to the delayed arrival of the speaker.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/24-Feb-2024/sindh-assembly-meets-today-for-oath-taking-of-members-elect
