Pandemonium in the house

LAHORE:

The Punjab Assembly on Saturday turned into a battlefield as the power struggle between two contenders of chief minister slot escalated into full-blown violence.

In an unprecedented move, the house saw a heavy contingent of police flooding its premises, thrashing lawmakers and physically evicting them.

The acrimonious session saw unruly scenes when scuffle broke out between the PML-N and treasury members as the former supported the police's move to remove PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi from the house while the latter intervened to stop it. The lawmakers jostled with the police officials and resisted their actions while some supported them.

The house plunged into chaos just as the voting for the new chief minister was scheduled to take place with the PTI and the PML-Q lawmakers attacking Punjab Assembly acting speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari as he arrived in the house to preside over the session.

Lawmakers climbed atop the speaker's podium and left him with dishevelled hair and minor injuries.

The PTI lawmakers carrying lotas (round water containers) roughed up Mazari before the security staff of the assembly escorted him back to his chamber in protective custody.

Meanwhile, PML-N lawmakers also chipped in the chaos, not even sparing Parvez Elahi, a PML-Q leader and candidate for the CM’s slot, assaulting the senior politician.

The treasury MPAs, who did not want the election for the chief minister’s slot, not only attacked the acting speaker but also resorted to clashing with the police officials, dissident lawmakers and PML-N legislators.

Finally, after a few hours’ long battle, acting Speaker Mazari had to start proceedings from the official gallery rather than his chair where the speaker usually presides over the House.

The PTI and PML-Q MPAs went to the extent of grabbing some police personnel to drag them towards their chairs. Some other officials in civvies were also caught by PTI MPAs, beating them up black and blue.

The proceedings of the House remained suspended for hours. Later, on Mazari’s direction, more officials were called.

Soon the galleries for officials and visitors were vacated and locked down.

Read Politicians react to attack on Mazari during PA session

The police officials cordoned off the speaker’s podium but refrained from taking any action against the PTI women MPAs, who continued chanting slogans.

Around four hours later, acting Mazari appeared in the official gallery and the House proceedings began at 5pm. The acting speaker adopting the due procedure of voting ordered the locking of the doors of the assembly chambers.

Elahi lodges FIR

After sustaining injuries, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi submitted a request in police station to lodge FIR on the incident of violence in the House.

He also termed the election of Hamza Shehbaz as "fake" and said that election for the slot was not in accordance with the constitution.

According to the details, he reached Qila Gujar Singh police station to register the case.

He was accompanied by a large number of members of the Assembly. He also applied for registration of the case in the Punjab Assembly.

Among others, he has sought to move the FIR under section dealing with attempt to murder and section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).

'Illegal session'

Advocate General Punjab Ahmad Awais also raised questions on the legality of the process and declared it illegal.

Talking to The Express Tribune, he said that Governor Punjab has sought an inquiry report from Secretary Punjab Assembly.

He said that thus far the Governor through proper a channel has not been informed of the outcome of the house proceeding.

Awais added that the deputy speaker had informed the governor on a simple piece of paper which legally does not count and was not the official procedure, adding that the entire procedure was tainted, and it seemed that it was being done so to reach a predetermined conclusion.

He said that the entire process was akin to trampling law and constitution under their feet. He went as far as saying that it was the court decision that was devoid of wisdom which allowed them to flagrantly violate the rules and the norms, in such a blatant way.

Read more Violence mars PA session, police remove Elahi from hall

He, talking to a private TV channel, had said that Hamza was not a constitutional CM.

He said that for CM Punjab proper elections should be held.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, he said that Governor Punjab has sought an inquiry report from Secretary Punjab Assembly.

Elahi blames police

After the scuffle that left the acting speaker reportedly injured, Elahi met members of local and international media at his chamber in the Punjab Assembly to clear his stance on the issue.

He blamed the scuffle on the police force accompanying Mazari for creating a ruckus in the house by allegedly assaulting the members of the government. The women lawmakers went to the dais of Mazari to "convince" him but they were assaulted by the police force deployed with the acting speaker, Elahi claimed.

Elahi also claimed that he was injured in an alleged attack on him by PML-N lawmakers.

He further said the PML-Q and PTI did not accept Mazari as the acting speaker despite the court orders. The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to appoint Mazari as the acting speaker "usurped my powers", the PA speaker said as he expressed reservations over the decision.

Elahi said the house will also bring a privilege motion -- that carries a maximum sentence of three months -- against the Punjab Police chief over the alleged assault on the women MPAs by the police officials.

'Remove jammers'

In a statement, PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the jammers have been installed in the press gallery of the Punjab Assembly to stop the media from reporting on the CM election.

She demanded immediate removal of these jammers, saying such petty tricks should be put an end to. Marriyum said the purpose of putting up these jammers was to conceal "whatever they intended to do" in the Punjab Assembly.

Also read Hamza elected Punjab CM after police control violence in PA

She said during the previous session to elect the CM, the media was barred from the assembly and this time as well, the jammers were being installed to prevent media from reporting on the election.

The PML-N leader said just like the PTI government was sent packing from the National Assembly, the Punjab government will be sent home as well.

Mazari suspends secretaries

Following the conclusion of the session, the acting speaker suspended PA Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti, Secretary Coordination Inayat Ullah Lak, Special Secretary Amir Habib and Security Officer Sardar Akbar Nasir, for not following his lawful directions.

Suspension order issued by Mazari stated: "I am the acting speaker and it is my constitutional obligation to conduct the election of the chief minister Punjab in peaceful and transparent manner whereas the secretary and secretarial staff particularly the said officers were under legal duty to provide full support and facilitate me in discharge of my constitutional duty to follow my lawful direction for the peaceful conduct of election and colluded with miscreants who physically attacked and disrupted the assembly proceedings thereby blatantly falling the proceedings of the House have been obstructed, the presiding officer has been physically assaulted and physically obstructed from discharging the constitutional duty whereas a preliminary inquiry has been conducted and the officers mentioned above have been found to be involved."