Hamza declared re-elected Punjab CM

After a game of nerves, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz Friday succeeded in securing his seat at the last moment.

According to the 24News HD TV channel, the election for the leader of the house was held between Ch Parvez Elahi and sitting Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz in the Punjab Assembly chamber.

Ch Parvez Elahi secured 186 votes against Hamza Shehbaz who bagged 179 votes.

As soon as, the counting was completed, the Chair of the House announced the results stating that he got a letter from PML-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain for considering his legislators' votes for Hamza Shehbaz.

However, the Chair added that the 10 votes of the PML-Q legislators have been rejected legally. So, he declared that the opposition received total of 176 votes against Hamza Shehbaz.

 The announcement sparked an alternation between the chair and the PTI lawmaker Raja Basharat on the validity of the latter’s ruling.

The opposition lawmaker can move court if they have an objection, the chair said.

Following the orders of the Supreme Court, Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari conducted the election.

The Punjab Assembly’s Friday session started two hours and 50 minutes behind schedule. 

All the legislators belonging to the opposition parties, the PTI and the PML-Q, reached the House on time but the treasury members were late.

Both the candidates, Hamza Shehbaz and Parvez Elahi were present in the House.

Before the starting, the session, some hard talks between the treasury and the opposition lawmakers were also observed outside of the House. The MPAs from both the opposition and treasury benches chanted slogans against each other.  

Punjab Assembly session was started to seal the fate of sitting Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz at 6:50 PM on the orders of the Supreme Court on Friday (July 22).

According to the 24News HD TV channel, the session began two hours and 50 minutes behind schedule (4:00 PM).

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and his opponent candidate for the chief minister’s post Chaudhry Parvez Elahi were present in the House.

Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari chaired the session and took an oath to the newly elected MPA Raja Sagheer in by-elections.

A good number of security guards in plain dresses were also present in the House to protect Deputy Speaker from any unpleasant incident from the opposition.

On a point of order, the ruling party's Tahir Khalil Sindhu raised objections against the oath of PTI's newly elected member Shabbir Gujar. 

Later, Deputy Speaker adjourned the session for Maghrib prayers and then restarted the proceedings.

As per the procedure of the CM Election announced, the treasury members and opposition legislators started passing through the separate doors to count their votes in favour of the candidates--Hamza Shehbaz and Parvez Elahi.