Punjab Assembly adjourns sans tabling no-trust against Mazari

Today's Punjab Assembly session concerning a no-confidence motion - filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) MPAs - against Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari on the agenda was adjourned till May 16.

The provincial assembly session was adjourned without the no-confidence motion being tabled.

Supposed to be convened by PA Speaker and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, the session was called off by Elahi around 11 am - half an hour before it was to begin.

"In exercise of the powers vested in me under rule 25(b) of the Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, 1997, I, Parvez Elahi, Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Punjab, hereby order that the next sitting of the 40th Session of Punjab Assembly will now be held on Monday, 16th May 2022 at 11:30 am in Assembly Chambers, Lahore, instead of Thursday, 28th April 2022 at 11:30 am," a notification issued by the speaker said.

Elahi, while talking to media outside the assembly, stated that the session was being adjourned in light of "unforeseen circumstances", claiming assembly members were being harassed by police officers and raids and arrests were being conducted by the police.

The PML-Q leader's claim came following the police's attempt to arrest provincial assembly secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti from outside the gates of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

He also claimed that the PA secretary of coordination Inayat Ullah Lak was also among those arrested.

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Elahi accused the PML-N of sabotaging the process of the session, saying the secretariat had "never seen such circumstances as the PML-N was demonstrating after coming into power".

PA secy attempted arrest

The PA secretary has been nominated in an FIR registered against unknown persons for attacking police officials inside the Punjab Assembly chambers on April 16.

As the police reached the Lahore High Court premises to arrest Bhatti, lawyers rushed him inside the court, and advocate Ahmad Saeed Rawn informed police officials that the high court's premises did not come under their jurisdiction.

The police officials and Bhatti played hide and seek as the former continued to seek his arrest, while the latter tried to protect him.

According to reports, a heavy contingent of police officials dressed in uniform and plainclothes lay in wait outside the court premises. Later, the police entered the high court, but lawyers resisted them from making an arrest and took Bhatti to the Pakistan Bar Council’s office.

The no-confidence vote today was supposed to be held through a secret ballot, with increased security arrangements and a bar on cellphones.

Women lawmakers were also not allowed to carry handbags onto the assembly floor and outside guests were not allowed to witness the session