The panel overseeing the session in the Punjab Assembly on Sunday disposed of the no-confidence motion against Speaker Pervaiz Elahi after petitioner Sami Ullah Khan failed to show up. Khan is a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member of the Provincial Assembly. However, on dismissal of the motion, PML-N has vowed to bring back his petition against Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Elahi who is a member of the nationalist political party Pakistan Muslim League (PML Q). Meanwhile, the sessions of the assembly have been postponed until June 6, Geo News reported.
The session to discuss the no-confidence motion on Assembly Speaker Elahi was chaired by Waseem Khan Badozai. The meeting was adjourned within 6 minutes due to the absence of the petitioner, the report stated, despite a two hours delay at the beginning of the said session. Khan’s missing in action also led Badozai to dismiss the motion and defer the session until June 6.
Meanwhile, an emergency session has been called on by PA Speaker Elahi on May 30. Notably, the security situation outside Pakistan Punjab Assembly (PA) in Lahore worsened on Sunday after the arrest of the PA Director-General for Parliamentary Affairs Rai Mumtaz. The police allegedly “leaped over” the walls of the DG’s house and arrested the ombudsman on the hours of Sunday, family members informed. The official has been moved to an “unknown location,” they added, as quoted by Geo News.
Lahore administration deployed a large number of police personnel, who were directed to stay vigilant amid reports of potential chaos. Lahore police barricaded the routes for Members of the Assembly to thwart imminent dangers of public anger. The administration had also instilled barb wires outside the PA building.
PML-N to resubmit the no-trust motion against Elahi
Pakistan Punjab CM Hamza Shebaz was refused entrance to the Assembly due to potential fear over widespread protests. However, PML-N sent 15-20 MPAs as soon as the gates opened, Geo News reported. PML-N on Sunday stated that it will bring back the motion against Elahi. The party has also called for a meeting to discuss the delay in the arrival of the petitioner.
As the political turmoil escalated on Sunday, PML-N leader Ata Tarar accused Elahi of “bringing goons from Gujrat.” He added that the government had submitted the no-confidence motion in line with the Pakistan Constitution and had pledged to challenge Elahi’s “illegal actions.”
