The session of the Punjab Assembly, presided over by Speaker Sibtain Khan, commenced after a delay of over two hours on Friday. This marks the inaugural provincial assembly session following the general elections held on February 8, where newly-elected members are set to be sworn in.
At the beginning of the belated session, members from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) engaged in slogan-chanting and exchanged heated words.
Imtiaz Sheikh, a PTI-backed candidate, discreetly arrived at the assembly in a vehicle with tinted windows, staying concealed in the rear seat.
The SIC, with 97 members inside the building, claimed that their members were being denied entry into the assembly, while the PML-N has approximately 215 members present.
PML-N leader Azma Bokhari emphasized that members cannot speak without taking the oath, and there are still pending decisions on some reserved seats due to eligibility concerns. She stated that her party respects the decisions and aims to collaborate.
Azma Bokhari added that the Sindh Assembly session is scheduled for tomorrow, and the National Assembly session will be called in a couple of days.
The Punjab Assembly, the first of five assemblies to convene its opening session after the elections, faced a delay from its scheduled 10 am start.
Newly-elected members from various parties, including PML-N Senior Vice President and CM nominee Maryam Nawaz, have arrived at the assembly.
Speaker Muhammad Sibtain Khan, speaking to the media, urged that elected members should not be obstructed from attending the session, acknowledging disparities in providing a level playing field.
He mentioned that the election for the provincial assembly’s speaker and deputy speaker would take place tomorrow.
On the sidelines, PML-N Punjab’s parliamentary party, led by Maryam, started a meeting with members congratulating her on the nomination for the top provincial post.
Farrukh Javed, from PTI, mentioned that their chief minister candidate Mian Aslam Iqbal, who had taken bail, was coming to take the oath. Those who were “forcibly defeated” are expected to demonstrate during the session.
Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman formally issued a notification for the assembly meeting. Speaker Sabatin Khan will administer the oath to elected representatives, officially inducting them into the legislative body.
After independent MPA-elects joined PML-N, it became the largest party in the Punjab Assembly, announcing the formation of the government with Maryam as its head.
PTI’s Central Media Department directed candidates who lost seats due to the “robbery of the mandate” to protest outside the Punjab Assembly session. PTI leadership alleged shameful tactics to keep Iqbal out of the chief minister’s election process in Punjab, citing attempts by the Punjab police, influenced by Maryam Nawaz, to abduct Mian Aslam Iqbal despite bail from the Peshawar High Court.
