Punjab Assembly session postponed

House yet to meet since CM’s election last month

LAHORE:

The first session of the Punjab Assembly after the election of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz was postponed for the second time on Friday

The election for the chief minister’s post was held on April 16 under the supervision of Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari. The voting was marred by daylong scuffles inside the assembly.

An announcement of the session's delay came amid apprehensions that Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi might create constitutional complications regarding the assembly proceedings.

Pervaiz Elahi, who was the candidate of the coalition led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the post of the chief minister, had resumed his role as the Speaker the day after the election and summoned the assembly session on April 28.

Some standard operating procedures (SOPs) were issued on April 27 for the session, barring the members from taking their mobile phones into the assembly chambers. The women lawmakers were also directed not to take their handbags to the hall. No guests were allowed on the scheduled day of the session.

The agenda of the assembly was also issued, which included a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Mazari.

However, the police arrested Punjab Assembly Coordination Secretary Inayatullah Lak on April 28 in connection with an FIR registered against unknown persons after the scuffle and damage to property caused on April 16.

The police also tried to arrest Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti from the Lahore High Court but lawyers foiled their attempt, asserting that the police could not arrest anyone from the court premises.

Bhatti, who was at the LHC for the hearing of a case, obtained an order from LHC, restraining the police from arresting him.

Following the police action, Speaker Pervaiz Elahi adjourned the assembly session till May 16 without chairing the proceedings on April 28.

The session scheduled for May 16 was postponed till May 30 on Friday. The reason for the decision was not disclosed.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2022.