Imran terms Hamza's election as Punjab CM 'sham'

Rejecting the poll, former premier says election 'held without anyone in the chair' a total violation of all norms

Former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday slammed the "supposed" election of Punjab chief minister, saying the incidents that happened that day were against "all democratic norms".

"What happened in Punjab Assembly was condemnable & against all democratic norms & constitutional provisions," the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief said on Twitter.

"No one was in the Chair conducting the supposed elections - a total violation of all norms. We reject this sham mafia-captured "elections", Imran, who was ousted from the prime minister's office earlier this month, said.

What happened in Punjab Assembly was condemnable & against all democratic norms & constitutional provisions. No one was in the Chair conducting the supposed elections - a total violation of all norms. We reject this sham mafia-captured "elections". #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 17, 2022

On Saturday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz' Hamza Shehbaz was “elected” as the new chief minister of Punjab securing 197 votes amid the chaos that erupted in the provincial assembly, but his rival candidate declared the polls as “illegal”.

Also read: Hamza ‘elected’ Punjab CM

Pervaiz Elahi, who was the PTI candidate for the chief minister’s position but later boycotted the polls after being physically assaulted allegedly by PML-N MPAs, declared the election as “illegal”, casting a shadow of doubt over the legitimacy of the electoral process.

To a question, if Hamza could take the oath, he claimed that he was a sham CM. He was referring to the judgements, wherein the court had apparently stepped in the assembly’s domain. He maintained that Article 69 barred courts from interfering in the affairs of assemblies.

The advocate general Punjab also reportedly declared the election as illegal. He added that the deputy speaker had not conducted the polls according to the rules.