Amid widespread confusion over a crucial session of the Punjab Assembly (PA) to elect the new chief minister, Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari on Wednesday dispelled the notion it had been postponed till April 16 and asserted that it would be held at 7:30pm today.
On Tuesday, Mazari had moved the assembly session for electing the province’s next chief minister to April 16 at 11:30am, citing repair and maintenance work in the assembly hall as the reason.
However, in a late night development, he had superseded his earlier order and summoned the PA to meet at 7:30pm today — a development that was denied by a spokesperson for the provincial assembly and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
Speaking to DawnNewsTV, the deputy speaker asserted that the assembly session would be held today. He also accused some PA staff members of playing the “wrong role” in the convening of the session, stating that they were “spreading confusion”.
“The session has been scheduled for today in light of the directions of the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that the same had been conveyed to PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who is the PTI’s candidate for the top slot and the incumbent PA speaker.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had dictated an order highlighting the assurance held out by Punjab Advocate General Ahmed Awais that the proceedings of the PA would be conducted today within the ambit of the law and the Constitution.
Mazari went on to say that he would play his “constitutional role” in the election for the province’s chief minister. “Elahi will oversee the matter of suspending MPAs in case of vandalism,” he said, adding that he had not issued directives to suspend the membership of any lawmaker.
He said that he had issued the notification for convening the session today after consulting with his lawyers and stood by it.
