PTI legislators erupted in a ruckus inside the Punjab Assembly today, attacking Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, as the Punjab Assembly prepared to pick its chief minister in compliance with the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) directives.
The session was meant to start at 11:30 a.m., but it was postponed due to disruptive PTI members.
Despite the presence of security agents, governing party legislators threw “lotas” at Mazari, assaulted him, and pulled his hair.
Following the incident, Mazari exited the room.
When PTI legislators brought “lotas” into the chamber and began chanting “lota, lota” (turncoats) at dissident PTI MPs who had quit the party to support the opposition, a disturbance ensued.
Outside the assembly, PML-N lawmaker Ataullah Tarrar called on the LHC Chief Justice to investigate the incident.
“We are not interfering in any way with the operations of the house.” We won’t go till the election is over. He said, “We’ll wait till 12 a.m.”
The PML-N has received the support of 200 members of parliament.
Hamza Shahbaz and Parvez Elahi, the two contenders, are expected to duel aggressively. Elahi of the PML-Q has the support of the PTI, while Hamza is a joint candidate of the PML-N and other coalition parties.
Since ex-governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar — who was ousted from his position last week – accepted Usman Buzdar’s resignation on April 1, the CM’s office has remained vacant for nearly two weeks.
After Speaker Elahi sealed off the Punjab Assembly on April 6, the Opposition elected PML-N leader Hamza as the chief minister in a symbolic session of the provincial assembly.
