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After dramatic day, PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz retains Punjab CM’s post

10 votes of PML-Q members rejected by deputy speaker under Article 63(A). Hamza Shahbaz gains a 3-vote victory over Pervez Elahi. PTI to approach country's top court to challenge the decision.

By Muhammad Awais Arif
Parliamentarians congratulate Hamza Shahbaz after he retains his chief minister Punjab position. — Geo News Screengrab

After a dramatic day, PML-N’s candidate Hamza Shahbaz Friday retained the post of the Punjab chief minister against Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi through a three-vote victory.

Following the counting of votes, Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari, citing Article 63A of the Constitution, rejected 10 votes cast by PML-Q members. As a result, Hamza received 179 votes, while Elahi, who was backed by the PTI, managed to bag 176 votes.

As Mazari announced the result, PTI leader Raja Basharat had an argument with the deputy speaker and said that since Chaudhry Sajid was the parliamentary leader of PML-Q, Article 63(A) did not apply to Elahi’s case.

“As per Sajid’s instruction, all PML-Q members were to vote for Elahi,” he said, adding that Shujaat’s letter held “no value”.

“You are depriving the candidate of his right,” Basharat accused the speaker.

As the argument between the two kept escalating, with PTI members refusing to accept the decision, Mazari adjourned the assembly’s session, telling PTI and PML-Q members to “approach the court” regarding their grievances.

SC order on Article 63(A): Who can give directions to MPs?

The Supreme Court of Pakistan, back in May, had ruled the votes of dissident members of the Parliament (MPs), cast against their parliamentary party’s directives, cannot be counted.

The apex court, issuing its verdict on the presidential reference seeking the interpretation of Article 63(A) of the Constitution related to defecting lawmakers of the PTI, said that the law cannot be interpreted in isolation.

During today’s ruling, Article 63(A) was applied after PML-Q President, Chaudhry Shujaat, wrote a letter to the deputy speaker, saying that he had directed the party not to vote in any party’s favour.

PTI to challenge Mazari’s decision in court

Following Mazari’s decision to disregard the 10 votes of PML-Q members — a move that allowed Hamza to retain his post as the chief minister of Punjab — PTI said that it would approach the country’s top court to challenge the decision.

Bilawal bucks up Zardari

Following Hamza’s victory, Foreign Minister Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari took to his Twitter account and praised his father, saying, “Ek Zardari sab pe bhaari.”

 


Chaudhry Shujaat says he will not back Imran Khan’s candidate: Moonis
In a major development ahead of the voting, PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi said that his uncle, senior party leader Chaudhry Shujaat, had refused to back Imran Khan’s candidate Elahi.

He said that he had gone to visit Shujaat but he refused to issue a video recording in this regard. “I have lost and Imran Khan has lost as well but Zardari has won,” Moonis quoted his uncle as saying.

In response, former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed said that Elahi was the parliamentary leader of PML-Q.

“Chaudhry Shujaat had said twice or thrice before that he would back Elahi, but Asif Zardari has, once again, exposed himself.”

Later, while speaking to senior journalist Ansar Abbasi, Moonis said that Shujaat had written a letter to the deputy speaker, stating that no one from the party will be casting their votes.

“Asif Zardari had assured Shujaat that he would make Elahi the chief minister of Punjab,” Moonis said. “Zardari had also told him that Elahi would be the candidate for PML-N and allies.”

Moonis added that his party will only vote for Imran Khan’s candidate, adding that no one from his party will be casting a vote in favour of PML-N or its allies to become the next chief minister.

He also took to his Twitter account and shared with the masses that a day ago, the PML-Q’s parliamentary party leader in the provincial assembly Sajid Bhatti held a party meeting and it was decided unanimously that Elahi would be the candidate for the CM’s slot.


Number game
The Opposition alliance had 188 members in the house of 371 while the PML-N coalition had 179 MPs when the voting ended.

The only option left for the PML-N was to cause a breach in the PTI-PML(Q) parliamentary strength. And with Shujaat’s last-minute move, 10 votes of PML-Q parliamentarians were rejected, which gave the PML-N a breather.
In the second round of the CM’s election, the lead of three votes marked the victory of Hamza as he bagged 179 votes, while after the rejection of PML-Q’s votes, Elahi received 176 votes.

The PTI clean sweeping of the July 17 by-election had changed the whole scenario for the nascent government of Hamza after the party won 15 seats. The PTI was confident it would, once again, take over the rule of Punjab but today’s election proved otherwise.

PML-Q members protest outside Shujaat’s Lahore residence
Following Shujaat’s announcement that the party will distance itself from voting for PTI’s candidate in the Punjab CM’s election, PML-Q workers, amid a heavy contingent of police personnel, staged a protest outside his Lahore residence.

The protesters held lotas — a symbol for turncoats — in their hands during the demonstration and chanted slogans in favour of Elahi.

Deputy speaker rejects PML-N’s objection toward Zain Qureshi, Shabbir Gujjar

At the beginning of the assembly’s session, PML-N objected to the presence of PTI candidates Zain Qureshi and Shabbir Gujjar in the house and said that since Zain had not resigned from the membership of the National Assembly, he was not eligible to vote in the provincial assembly. Meanwhile, the party added that since there was a case pending against Gujjar with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he cannot cast his vote either.

However, PTI leader Raja Basharat, in Gujjar’s defence, said that the ECP had sent a notification in this regard and according to that, Gujjar is eligible to cast his vote.

Following that, Mazari rejected PML-N’s objections and said that both PTI candidates could cast their votes.

PTI to approach SC over delay in voting process
As the voting for the CM’s election did not begin at the designated time of 4pm, the PTI said it has decided to approach the Supreme Court to lodge a complaint against the deputy speaker.


Taking to Twitter, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the deputy speaker should be trialled for “contempt of court” for delaying the voting despite the top court’s orders.

Changes in Punjab will not affect Centre: PML-N
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, in a pre-poll press briefing in Lahore, said that it was not necessary that a change in Punjab will have an effect on the federal government as well.

The federal minister said that the situation was not what it seemed like as he stressed that the PML-N will “remain in Punjab and hold its ground.”

In a scathing attack on PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the PML-N leader said that the former prime minister does not wish to see stability in Pakistan and “wishes to turn it into Sri Lanka”.

Asad Umar hints at not dissolving assembly
Talking to journalists shortly before the start of the session, PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar hinted at not dissolving the Punjab Assembly after Elahi gets elected as the chief minister.

“The Punjab Assembly will continue till the current system is intact,” he told journalists.

The PTI leader said that PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari’s politics of “buying” politicians have ceased to exist as the voters have rejected the party, referring to the PTI’s victory in the by-election.

Umar added that the PTI has the numbers it needs and Elahi will win the election.

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