LAHORE: A sitting of the controversial Punjab Assembly session was held here on Monday under the chair of Speaker Parvez Elahi.

The chair had to postpone the question hour and the call attention notices because of the absence of the relevant ministers as the treasury members boycotted the session.

The house then discussed the ongoing constitutional crisis in the country as ex-minister Raja Basharat said the July 22 contest for the office of chief minister would be continuation of the April 16 electoral exercise.

He said Hamza Shehbaz had lost all moral ground to remain the provincial chief executive after PML-N’s defeat in the by-polls.

Parvez terms PTI win biggest surprise after ZAB’s 1971 victory

He criticised the bureaucracy for, what he said, mistreating the PTI lawmakers and workers, adding that the officials were servants of the state, and not of any individual.

MPA Yawar Abbas Bukhari said the bureaucrats were enjoying a luxurious life at the expense of the taxpayers and needed to be reined in.

Chaudhry Zaheer said the PTI fought an 11-party alliance in the by-polls, but sincere struggle ensured its success.

Samiullah Chaudhry regretted that the federal government was planning trial of Imran Khan under Article 6 of the Constitution, adding that it wanted to punish PTI chief for creating awareness among the masses.

Later, the proceedings were postponed for Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has said the by-election success is the biggest surprise given by Imran Khan in the country’s political history after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s landslide win in 1971 elections.

Mr Elahi said this while chairing a joint parliamentary party meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and PML-Q at assembly chambers here on Monday.

“The election results are a victory of Imran Khan’s narrative and the truth won in the by-polls,” Mr Elahi said.

The meeting paid tribute to PTI chairman Imran Khan for PTI’s success in the by-elections.Mr Elahi said Imran Khan had conveyed his message to the masses by running a vigorous election campaign and people responded to his voice and rejected those who changed their loyalties.

The speaker said the PML-N indiscriminately used police in the by-elections, but the PTI and the PML-Q workers played their role without caring for their lives.

“The law will make its course against those who resorted to illegal actions,” he asserted.

The MPAs of both parties also expressed their opinions during the meeting.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2022