Outgoing Speaker Sibtain Khan administered oath to the newly-elected members of the Punjab Assembly on Friday.
The PA session, presided over by Sibtain, began after a delay of more than two hours on Friday.
The secretary of the assembly said that the speaker and deputy speaker will be elected tomorrow (Saturday) through secret balloting. “Nomination papers for speaker and deputy speaker will be collected and scrutinised today,” he added.
This was the maiden provincial assembly session after the February 8 general elections, wherein the newly-elected members have sworn-in.
At the outset of the delayed session, members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chanted slogans against each other and exchanged hot words.
The SIC, which currently has 97 members inside the building, said its members were not being allowed to enter the assembly. Whereas, the PML-N has about 215 members there.
PTI-backed candidate Imtiaz Sheikh reached the assembly hiding in a vehicle with black-tinted glasses. He laid low in the vehicle’s rear seat.
Members not being allowed to enter: SIC
During the session, the SIC said their members were not being allowed to enter the assembly.
SIC members tried talking to the assembly speaker, however, they were told that they would be heard once they took an oath.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not yet [issued a list] of reserved seats,” said Speaker Sibtain.
PML-N leader Azma Bokhari said that none of the members can speak unless they take an oath.
“The decision on some reserved seats is still not taken due to their ineligibility. We currently have a two-thirds majority after forming an alliance,” she said.
Bokhari said that her party respects the decision and wants to work with them.
“Sindh Assembly session is convened tomorrow and National Assembly session will also be called in a couple of days,” she said.
The Punjab Assembly is the first house to convene its opening session, out of five assemblies that went to the elections.
