LAHORE: Malik Ahmad Khan, nominated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), clinched the position of Speaker in the Punjab Assembly.
Among the 327 lawmakers who participated in Saturday’s elections out of the total 371 members, Malik Ahmad Khan secured a significant victory with 225 votes, backed by his party and its allies within the PML-N. Meanwhile, his contender, Ahmad Khan Bhachar, nominated by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), received 98 votes.
Media sources have reported that 16 lawmakers, predominantly from the Sunni Ittehad Council, have yet to take their oath. Furthermore, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not yet made a decision regarding the allocation of 27 reserved seats for women and minorities, which are affiliated with the SIC.
Despite protests both inside and outside the legislative building, the Punjab Assembly session commenced under the chairmanship of outgoing Speaker Sibtain Khan, albeit with a delay of one-and-a-half hours.
Subsequently, six Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) were sworn in, including Chaudhry Shafay Hussain from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), as well as Hafiz Farhat Abbas and Waseem Khan Badozai from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
Following the oath-taking ceremony, the newly sworn-in MPAs recorded their attendance in the official register. The session briefly adjourned for 20 minutes to accommodate the Maghrib prayer.
On the previous day, 321 out of the 371 elected members were sworn in as new Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs).
Among these 321 legislators, 221 belonged to the PML-N and its allied parties, including 13 MPA-elects from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), 10 from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), and five from the Tehreek-e-Istehkam Party. Additionally, 98 members represented the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), with one member each from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and PML-Zia.
