In a session marked by delays and protests, the newly elected representatives of the Punjab Assembly were sworn in today. The session, called by Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, came after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) partially notified lawmakers on seats reserved for women and minorities.
The Punjab Assembly, the largest elected house in the country with 371 seats, saw the swearing-in of 297 general seat members and 74 reserved seat members, including 66 for women and eight for minorities. However, the ECP has only issued notifications for 42 reserved seats for women and five for minorities so far.
Originally scheduled to start at 10 am, the session faced a delay of over two hours, eventually commencing after Friday prayers at around 2:30 pm. Outgoing Punjab Assembly speaker Sibtain Khan administered the oath to the newly elected MPAs, congratulating them and wishing them success.
Among those in attendance were PML-N’s nominee for Punjab chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, former federal minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, and PTI leader Aamir Dogar. Notably, this marks Maryam Nawaz’s first election as a lawmaker.
A total of 193 lawmakers from PML-N, 98 members of the recently joined Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) – including PTI-backed independents who won in the polls, 10 members of PML-Q, 13 from PPP, five from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party, and one each from Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan and Pakistan Muslim League-Zia took the oath.
In the midst of the session, protests and face-offs erupted. The PTI claimed their MPAs, now part of SIC, were prevented from entering the assembly premises, with Sheikh Imtiaz stating they arrived “in hiding”. The PTI also criticized the heavy police deployment, alleging an attempt to arrest their members.
Outside the assembly, a confrontation between PTI and PML-N members ensued, with both sides exchanging slogans against each other.
Despite the chaos, Speaker Sibtain Khan assured reporters that all newly elected lawmakers would be allowed to attend the session, vowing to ensure their entry into the assembly.
In preparation for tomorrow’s session, nominations for the speaker and deputy speaker positions were submitted today. PML-N’s Malik Ahmad Khan and Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channer submitted papers for speaker and deputy speaker respectively, while SIC members Ahmad Khan Bhachar and Muhammad Moeenuddin Riaz Qureshi also submitted their nominations.
For the chief minister position, PML-N has nominated Maryam Nawaz, while PTI has put forward Mian Aslam Iqbal, who is reportedly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following bail from the Peshawar High Court.
In the February 8 elections, PML-N secured 138 general seats, while PTI-backed independents claimed 114. With additional support from independent candidates, the PML-N now holds 199 seats, comfortably above the required simple majority of 186.
As the assembly moves forward with the election of the speaker and deputy speaker tomorrow, the political landscape in Punjab remains charged with anticipation and activity.
