Curtain raises on Punjab Assembly

The newly elected representatives of the Punjab Assembly on Friday took the oath of office in their maiden session marred by uproar and protests.

Following a bumpy start, the reports of a PTI-backed lawmaker's arrest cast a shadow over the proceedings.

As the session kicked off, members of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) raised concerns about reserved seats in the house.

The party lawmakers argued that while seats for other parties had been announced, theirs remained pending, and demanded a halt to the oath-taking.

The ensuing chaos saw a verbal exchange and slogans echoing through the assembly. The PML-N members brandished placards featuring party supremo Nawaz Sharif's images, countering with chants of "watch thieves" from PTI-backed lawmakers.

The speaker had to adjourn the meeting for 45 minutes to restore order.

When the proceedings resumed, the speaker administered the oath to the members, but the absence of PTI's nominated chief minister, Mian Aslam Iqbal, caused a delay.

The speaker waited for the absent members before proceeding with the oath for the rest.

Security measures outside the assembly included prison vans and water cannons, anticipating possible arrests related to the May 9 incident.

The session, set to commence at 10am, faced a delay of more than two hours.

The proceedings gained momentum at around 2:30pm, as outgoing Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan administered the oath to the newly elected members, extending congratulations and best wishes.

PML-N’s candidate for the Punjab chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, former federal minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, and PTI leader Aamir Dogar were among the attendees.

It marked Maryam's first election as a lawmaker.

The outgoing speaker administered oaths to 215 PML-N and allied party lawmakers, along with 98 SIC and PTI-backed lawmakers.

Sibtain also issued the schedule for the election of the new speaker and deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

The election schedule for the new speaker and deputy speaker is set to take place on Feb 24 (today) through a secret ballot.

Nomination papers’ submission and scrutiny were conducted until 5:30pm.

PML-N's Malik Mohammad Ahmed and SIC's Ahmed Khan Picher submitted their nomination papers for the post of speaker.

PML-N's Malik Zaheer Iqbal and Mohammad Moinuddin Riaz are contending for the deputy speaker’s slot.

Following scrutiny, their nomination papers were approved, as confirmed by Chaudhry Amir Habib, the secretary of the PA.

The session was called by Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman a day prior, following the partial notification from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding reserved seats for women and minorities.

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.

Following the oath administration on Wednesday, Speaker Sibtain urged lawmakers to maintain a positive atmosphere, encouraging them to listen to each other patiently.

Meanwhile, reports of Mian Aslam's arrest, a PTI-backed independent lawmaker nominated for the post of chief minister, stirred tension, leading the speaker to instruct the police to provide a status report on Aslam.

While the PML-N lawmakers pressed for the oath administration, opposition members sought an adjournment due to the yet-to-be-allocated reserve seats. The session was briefly adjourned until after Friday prayers.

Addressing the uneven playing field for some lawmakers, Speaker Sibtain pledged to address obstacles faced by the PTI-backed independents, vowing to ensure the representation of the people.

He said a level-playing field has been provided to some lawmakers while not to others, in reference to obstacles being faced by the PTI-backed independent candidates.

"Now that I have come to the assembly, I shall see who stops the representatives of the people from coming to the premises," Sibtain said on arrival at the assembly.

He added that he would seek information regarding those lawmakers who had been barred from entering the premises.

"Today in the assembly, there will be no other activity apart from administering oath to the nine designated lawmakers."
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.

To achieve this in Punjab, the party needs backing from 186 MPAs.

In the Feb 8 elections, the PML-N secured 137 seats. On Friday, it was assigned 36 reserved seats for women and five for minorities, raising its total strength in the 397-seat house to 178.

However, the party contends it enjoys support from over 190 MPAs.