Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan has taken oath as the Punjab Assembly speaker, 24NewsHD TV channel reported Saturday.
The joint candidate of PML-N and allied parties in the Punjab Assembly was elected the PA speaker by getting 224 votes while the Ahmad Khan of the Sunni Ittehad Council stood second with 96 votes.
A total of 322 votes were cast in the election and 2 were rejected.
Punjab Assembly Speaker Sabtain Khan announced the result and congratulated Muhammad Ahmak Khan on his success.
PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz and the MPAs greeted Malik Ahmed Khan on being elected the speaker. As Maryam Nawaz waved her hand, the PML-N members started sloganeering.
Extending his greetings to the Punjab Assembly speaker, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif said Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan will run the House of Punjab Assembly constitutionally and efficiently.
After taking the oath, he presided over the session for the deputy speaker’s election.
Malik Zaheer Iqbal, joint candidate of PML-N and allies won the seat of deputy speaker with 220 votes.
Sunni Ittehad Council candidate Moinuddin Riaz Qureshi stood second with 103 votes.
A total of 323 votes were cast in the election of deputy speaker and not a single vote was rejected.
The speaker administered the oath to the deputy speaker and put off the session for Monday.
Earlier, the Punjab Assembly witnessed a rumpus. Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan chaired the inaugural session that started more than one hour behind schedule.
The uproar began as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed and Sunni Itehad Council members raised slogans against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz members while the latter retaliated with full force.
Another six newly-elected members took the oath. Punjab Assembly Speaker Sabtain Khan administered oath to five SIC members – including Waseem Khan, Farhat Abbas, Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, Tashkeel Abbas Warraich and Fateh Khaliq Bandial – and PML-Q's Chaudhry Shafay Hussain.
Yesterday's session too witnessed uproar and protests. The reports of the arrest of a PTI-backed lawmaker added fuel to the fire.
The speaker had to adjourn the session for 45 minutes to restore order. When the proceedings resumed, the speaker administered the oath to the members.
The Punjab Assembly speaker and deputy speaker elections were being held via a secret ballot.