Opposition holds mock session

Protest against suspension of 11 colleagues

LAHORE:

Opposition lawmakers organised a protest demonstration and symbolic session outside the Punjab Assembly gate.

The opposition members chanted slogans in support of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan who is incarcerated in Adiala Jail.

About 130 members of provincial assembly (MPAs) and candidates claiming victory as per Form-45 participated in the protest and mock session named the ‘Awami Assembly’.

The participants passed resolutions demanding the release of Imran Khan and other party leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed.

The resolutions also called for the allotment of reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council, ‘restoration of the public mandate’, an independent judicial investigation into the May 9 riots, the restoration of assembly memberships of opposition MPAs, and reductions in electricity and gas tariffs.

The symbolic assembly session was chaired by Mian Ijaz Shafi, who ‘administered oath’ to all opposition candidates claiming election victory as per Form 45 of the vote count.