The newly-elected members of the Punjab Assembly formally took their oaths on Friday during the inaugural session that was marred by delays and tension.
The session witnessed the attendance of 313 lawmakers, with 215 representing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its allied parties, while 98 members from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) also took the oath of office.
The Punjab Assembly notably became the first house among the five assemblies that underwent elections on February 8 to convene its inaugural session.
However, the anticipated smooth start faced a setback with a delay exceeding two hours from the scheduled 10 am commencement.
The assembly’s secretary announced that the election for the positions of speaker and deputy speaker would take place on the following day (Saturday) through a secret ballot.
He outlined the process of collecting and scrutinizing nomination papers until 5 pm on the same day.
As the delayed session began, members from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and SIC engaged in vocal exchanges, chanting slogans against each other.
Presiding over the session, Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan addressed media representatives outside the assembly, emphasizing the importance of elected MPs not facing impediments during assembly sessions.
Acknowledging disparities in the level playing field for some members, he justified his early arrival, citing historical delays of up to six hours in past sessions. The speaker confirmed that the election for the provincial assembly’s speaker and deputy speaker would transpire on Saturday.
Tensions escalated during the session as members of PML-N and SIC exchanged verbal barbs.
SIC members claimed their colleagues were being denied entry into the assembly, with around 97 members compared to PML-N’s 215. Attempts by SIC members to engage with the assembly speaker were rebuffed, contingent upon their oath-taking.
PML-N leader Uzma Bokhari clarified that members could not address the assembly without taking the oath.
She acknowledged pending decisions on reserved seats, emphasizing her party’s willingness to collaborate and work within the established framework.
In a contrasting claim, PTI asserted that Punjab police were obstructing its elected members from participating in the session and taking the oath. The party accused the police of potential interference and targeting their Chief Minister candidate, Mian Aslam Iqbal.
