Oath-taking: Shahbaz sworn in as CM
Bags 300 votes against PTI challenger’s 34 to claim the office a third time.
Governor Punjab administers oath to Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: ONLINE
LAHORE:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Punjab President Shahbaz Sharif was sworn in as the chief minister of the province after he secured 300 votes in the Punjab Assembly.
Punjab Governor Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood on Thursday administered the oath to Shahbaz at Punjab Governor House. Shahbaz, who held the position twice in the past, was elected as the leader of the provincial assembly earlier in the day after he bagged 300 votes against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Mian Mehmoodul Rashid who secured 34 votes.
Speaker of Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan announced the results after members voted by moving into the lobbies on either side of the speaker’s rostrum.
Shahbaz has previously held the office of the chief minister from 1997 to 1999 and from 2008 to 2013.
Shahbaz, while giving his maiden speech after being elected as the chief minister of Punjab, stressed that the incumbent government would make it a point to overcome load-shedding.
He said that power outages had caused the economy to suffer heavily, adding that it had destroyed agriculture and negatively affected exports.
Shahbaz stressed that out of the total vicious circular debt of Rs500 billion, Rs207 billion was due to the electricity theft. “Load-shedding has to end,” he declared, adding that though the country was under debt the PML-N is determined to end the menace.
Shahbaz stressed that the provincial government would have to offer complete support to the federal government to control electricity theft. He said that the Nandipur project of 400 MW would be completed and Punjab’s share of electricity of 700 MW which is going to other provinces would be stopped.
Elaborating his other plans to overcome the power outages he said solar tubewells will be provided to all farmers who have at least 12 and a half acres of land.
He vowed to end the Patwari culture from Punjab by the end of 2014, adding that the Punjab Land Management System had been established and was working over making all the records digitalised.
Shahbaz also pledged to turn all extra lands attached to the offices of field officers like DPO, DCO, RPO Commissioner etc and extra government buildings into educational institutions.
Khosa missing in action
Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa remained absent from the House and therefore did not cast his vote in favour of Shahbaz.
According to details, Senator Khosa had contested elections from PP-243 and won but since he is still to take oath he could not cast his vote.
Khoso was to take his oath today but could not make it to the provincial assembly. Under article 223 (4) subject to clause 2 of the Constitution, if a member of either the lower House or of a provincial assembly becomes a candidate for second seat which in accordance with clause 1, he may not hold concurrently with his first, then his first seat shall become vacant as soon as he is elected to the second seat.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2013.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Punjab President Shahbaz Sharif was sworn in as the chief minister of the province after he secured 300 votes in the Punjab Assembly.
Punjab Governor Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood on Thursday administered the oath to Shahbaz at Punjab Governor House. Shahbaz, who held the position twice in the past, was elected as the leader of the provincial assembly earlier in the day after he bagged 300 votes against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Mian Mehmoodul Rashid who secured 34 votes.
Speaker of Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan announced the results after members voted by moving into the lobbies on either side of the speaker’s rostrum.
Shahbaz has previously held the office of the chief minister from 1997 to 1999 and from 2008 to 2013.
Shahbaz, while giving his maiden speech after being elected as the chief minister of Punjab, stressed that the incumbent government would make it a point to overcome load-shedding.
He said that power outages had caused the economy to suffer heavily, adding that it had destroyed agriculture and negatively affected exports.
Shahbaz stressed that out of the total vicious circular debt of Rs500 billion, Rs207 billion was due to the electricity theft. “Load-shedding has to end,” he declared, adding that though the country was under debt the PML-N is determined to end the menace.
Shahbaz stressed that the provincial government would have to offer complete support to the federal government to control electricity theft. He said that the Nandipur project of 400 MW would be completed and Punjab’s share of electricity of 700 MW which is going to other provinces would be stopped.
Elaborating his other plans to overcome the power outages he said solar tubewells will be provided to all farmers who have at least 12 and a half acres of land.
He vowed to end the Patwari culture from Punjab by the end of 2014, adding that the Punjab Land Management System had been established and was working over making all the records digitalised.
Shahbaz also pledged to turn all extra lands attached to the offices of field officers like DPO, DCO, RPO Commissioner etc and extra government buildings into educational institutions.
Khosa missing in action
Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa remained absent from the House and therefore did not cast his vote in favour of Shahbaz.
According to details, Senator Khosa had contested elections from PP-243 and won but since he is still to take oath he could not cast his vote.
Khoso was to take his oath today but could not make it to the provincial assembly. Under article 223 (4) subject to clause 2 of the Constitution, if a member of either the lower House or of a provincial assembly becomes a candidate for second seat which in accordance with clause 1, he may not hold concurrently with his first, then his first seat shall become vacant as soon as he is elected to the second seat.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2013.