- SIC’s Ahmed Khan Bhachar secures 96 votes out of a total of 327 cast votes
- PML-N’s Malik Zaheer Iqbal Chunner becomes the new deputy speaker by obtaining 220 out of 323 votes
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Malik Ahmed Khan was elected as Punjab Assembly (PA) speaker on Saturday, securing a commanding 224 votes out of the total 327, while Malik Zaheer Iqbal Chunner became deputy speaker, obtaining 220 out of 323 votes.
Ahmed Khan Bhacher of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), comprising PTI-backed elected independent candidates, secured the second position with 96 votes, showcasing a competitive electoral atmosphere in the assembly.
The second session of the newly-elected Punjab assembly, presided over by outgoing Speaker Sibtain Khan, saw members of PML-N and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) — which includes MPAs who won with PTI’s backing — chanting slogans against each other.
Following his election, Khan promptly took the oath of his new post, marking the commencement of his responsibilities as the Punjab Assembly Speaker.
The election proceedings took place during a meeting chaired by the now-former speaker Sabtain Khan. All 327 members participated in the voting process, contributing to the democratic selection of the Speaker. However, the assembly meeting did not escape the fervour of political differences, with both sides engaging in passionate slogans against each other.
The next order of business involves the election for the deputy speaker’s slot, with Malik Zaheer Iqbal Chunar from PML-N and Mohammad Moinuddin Riaz from SIC in contention for the position.
Assembly Secretary Aamir Habib guided the members through the election procedures, with three designated booths facilitating the voting process. The booths accommodated members from various constituencies, ensuring a systematic and fair electoral process.
It’s noteworthy that the PML-N has a substantial number of candidates, adding to the competitive nature of the election. The oath-taking ceremony occurred the day prior, with 321 out of 371 members of the Punjab Assembly taking their oaths.
Chunner elected PA’s deputy speaker
Malik Zaheer Iqbal Chunner, the candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), secured victory in the election for the new deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly. Chunner garnered significant support, obtaining 220 out of 323 votes during the session held on Saturday night.
Mohammed Moinuddin Riaz from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) emerged as the second-place candidate with a total of 103 votes.
Earlier, six MPAs, including Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shafay Hussain and Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) Hafiz Farhat Abbas and Waseem Khan Badozai, and independent candidates Rai Murtaza Iqbal Khan, Fateh Khaliq, Tashakul Abbas Warraich, who were not present in the House’s inaugural session on Friday, took their oaths.
The sworn-in MPAs then marked their attendance in the register after the oath, following which the session was briefly adjourned for 20 minutes for the Maghrib prayer.
In the current composition of the provincial assembly, the PML-N leads with 193 members, followed by the Sunni Ittehad Council as the second-largest party with 98 members. Additionally, there are 13 members from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), 10 members from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), five members from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and one member each from Tehreek-e-Labbaik and Pakistan Muslim League-Ziaul Haq in the Punjab Assembly.
The Punjab Assembly, boasting 371 seats, consisting of 297 general seats and 74 reserved seats (66 for women and eight for minorities), holds the distinction of being the largest elected house in the country.
To date, the ECP has issued notifications for 42 reserved seats for women and five for minorities.
On Feb 8, elections on 296 general seats were conducted, with the polling for one seat delayed due to a candidate’s unfortunate demise.
Worth noting is that the previous assembly was dissolved in Jan 2023, leaving the province without a legislature for over a year.
The PML-N nominated Maryam Nawaz as its candidate for the chief ministership. If elected, Maryam would become the first-ever woman chief minister in the country’s history.
Despite challenges to the election results by PTI-backed independents in several Punjab constituencies, the PML-N asserts it has garnered sufficient seats to establish the government.
