Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan emerged victorious in the election for Punjab Assembly Speaker on Saturday.
He secured a commanding 224 votes out of the total 327 cast during the session. Ahmed Khan Picher of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) secured the second position with 96 votes, showcasing a competitive electoral atmosphere in the assembly. Following his election, Khan promptly took the oath of his new post, marking the commencement of his responsibilities as the Punjab Assembly Speaker.
The election proceedings took place during a meeting chaired by the now-former speaker Sabtain Khan. All 327 members participated in the voting process, contributing to the democratic selection of the Speaker. However, the assembly meeting did not escape the fervour of political differences, with both sides engaging in passionate slogans against each other.
The next order of business involves the election for the deputy speaker’s slot, with Malik Zaheer Iqbal Chunar from PML-N and Mohammad Moinuddin Riaz from SIC in contention for the position.
Assembly Secretary Aamir Habib guided the members through the election procedures, with three designated booths facilitating the voting process. The booths accommodated members from various constituencies, ensuring a systematic and fair electoral process.
Meanwhile, PML-N Zaheer Iqbal Chinnar was elected new deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly. He secured 220 votes against his rival candidate of SIC Moeen Riaz, who managed to bag 103 votes.
It’s noteworthy that the PML-N has a substantial number of candidates, adding to the competitive nature of the election. The oath-taking ceremony occurred the day prior, with 321 out of 371 members of the Punjab Assembly taking their oaths.
In the current composition of the provincial assembly, the PML-N leads with 193 members, followed by the Sunni Ittehad Council as the second-largest party with 98 members. Additionally, there are 13 members from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), 10 members from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), five members from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and one member each from Tehreek-e-Labbaik and Pakistan Muslim League-Ziaul Haq in the Punjab Assembly. The PML-N has nominated Maryam Nawaz as its candidate for the chief minister. If elected, Maryam would become the first-ever woman chief minister in the country’s history. Meanwhile, the PTI has nominated Rana Aftab for the slot of Punjab CM after Aslam Iqbal withdraws from the race over the “fear” of being arrested.
