It was a sad day for democracy as the PTI-PML(Q) ruling alliance blatantly resorted to force in Punjab Assembly to stop the elections for the slot of the Chief Minister. They turned the house into a battlefield.
Control over Punjab had become crucial for Imran Khan as his relations with the establishment soured. In a bid to retain control over the province Khan sacrificed Buzdar to accommodate Ch Pervez Elahi. Winning the support of the majority in Punjab Assembly became a dire necessity for Elahi as on this depended his political career. After the fall of Imran Khan’s government at the center, it became increasingly difficult to win over the dissidents that now also included the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly. Being short of numbers Elahi tried to postpone elections. After two turbulent weeks and legal wrangling, LHC ordered the Chief Minister’s elections to be held on April 16 under Deputy Speaker Dost Mohamad Mazari. The PTI-PML(Q) alliance found there was no other way to stop the elections which they were bound to lose except through resort to violence.
It was a pre-planned attempt to disturb the proceedings ordered by the LHC. The alliance’s women legislators brought ‘lotas’ which they hurled at the Deputy Speaker and then put some on his dais. Mazari was mobbed, slapped, beaten and pulled by the hairs as he came to conduct the elections. He had to be escorted to the security of his chamber. It took hours before Mazari could restart the proceedings duly guarded by plainclothesmen from his official box. As the voting started, there was another bout of scuffles initiated by the ruling alliance which led to Pervaiz Elahi also getting injured. This was used as an excuse by the ruling alliance to boycott the elections which had to be conducted on Saturday as ordered by LHC.
Hamza Shahbaz has been declared elected with 197 votes. Deputy Speaker Mazari said he had forgiven the opponents. One hopes the new government would encourage those who boycotted the voting to return to the Assembly to perform their duties on the opposition benches. A government cannot be run successfully in the absence of a watchful opposition.
