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Hamza Shahbaz vs Pervez Elahi: Voting for CM Punjab election to begin shortly

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2 years ago

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  • Crucial Punjab Assembly session for CM election to start shortly.
  • Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari to chair session.
  • Strict security arrangements made in and outside Punjab Assembly.

Punjab will once again be the centre of attention today (Friday) as all eyes are set on the crucial session of the Punjab Assembly to hold the process of the chief minister’s election between incumbent CM Hamza Shahbaz and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi.

The contest is expected to shape the country’s future political scenario. Ahead of the polls, Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari and Hamza arrived at the assembly. Upon his arrival, Hamza said: “God willing, we will win the election.”

The session was set to start at 4pm but could not begin on time. 

The landslide victory of PTI in last week’s Punjab by-polls turned the tables around in the Punjab Assembly. However, there still is widespread confusion over the numbers of the two major parties of Punjab — PTI and PML-N — who will have a thrilling contest for the Punjab CM between their respective candidates Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Hamza Shahbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

As the speaker himself is a candidate for the contest, the session will be held under the chairpersonship of Mazari, who has sought strict security arrangements for today’s political activity.

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 has 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.

Qureshi hopes poll will be conducted ‘peacefully’

PTI Senior Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, meanwhile, told journalists that he hopes that the election will be conducted “peacefully” as compared to the last one which was marred by violence.

Assuring that the party will cooperate with the deputy speaker, he hoped that PTI’s allies and the government will abide by their promise.

Qureshi termed the “auctions” of politicians embarrassing and urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the people who have sold their “conscience”.

Gandapur leads 186 MPAs to assembly

PTI leader and former minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan affairs Ali Amin Gandapur was seen leading his party’s MPAs in buses to the Punjab Assembly.

Gandapur, known for his hardline attitude, counted the MPAs to ensure that the party has the right number of lawmakers and their and PML-Q’s joint candidate wins the CM election today.

The PTI said that a total of 186 — the required simple majority of lawmakers — had reached the Punjab Assembly and they were asked to remain in the assembly’s committee room.

The lawmakers were taken to the assembly in four separate buses — and were not allowed to arrive at the assembly on their own as the party wanted to ensure that none of their lawmakers went missing for any reason.

The MPAs also offered Friday prayers in the committee room.

Independent candidate announces support for Hamza

Syed Muhammad Rafiuddin Bukhari, an independent candidate who clinched PP-228 Lodhran V in the by-election and secured 45,020 votes, announced support for Hamza.

“Although I am not a member of a party, I will support Hamza Shahbaz sahab,” Bukhari said in a video shared by the PML-N.

IG Punjab, chief secretary seek transfers

In fear of PTI coming into power, Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and Inspector-General Rao Sardar have reportedly sought the transfer of their services to the Centre.

The top-ranking government officials had sent their transfer request to the incumbent government a few days back, sources told Geo News.

Their request came after PTI Chairperson Imran Khan, following the party’s win in the by-elections, warned that he remembers the name of every police and government official “involved” in activities against his party.

LHC prohibits police from entering assembly

On the petition of the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Sibtain Khan and PTI leader Zainab Umar, the Lahore High Court (LHC) prohibited Punjab Police from entering the assembly premises.

LHC’s Justice Muzammil Akhtar Shabbir said that the police can enter the assembly premises if the law and order situation deteriorates.

Security sought for Punjab Assembly

In a letter written to the chief secretary and inspector-general on the eve of the CM election, Mazari requested that security officials be deployed within the boundaries and inside the premises of the Assembly hall to ward off any untoward incident.

Following the requisition, the Punjab police devised a security plan. According to it, 1,400 security personnel will be deployed inside and outside the Punjab Assembly.

The police said that security officials are being deployed to ensure the proceedings of the session are held peacefully and that the protection of all members of Parliament is also a major concern.

Where do things stand?

Political analysts believe if the opposition parties — PTI and the PML-Q — win the prized slot in Punjab, the coalition government in the Centre will ultimately feel the heat, The News reported. With two provincial governments in pocket, ousted premier Imran Khan would prove to be a bigger threat to the PML-N-led federal government, hence chances of an early general election in the country.

Due to significance of the contest, wheeling and dealing by the arch-rivals continued during the last 3-4 days, and reached its peak on Thursday night, when the election was almost 12 hours away.

Ahead of the crucial election, former prime minister Imran Khan presided over the parliamentary party meeting of PTI and PML-Q. The meeting was attended by 186 members of the provincial assembly, while Mazari did not participate.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed to have the support of 186 MPAs, the required number for winning the CM election. Former federal minister and PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi also said the Hamza government game was over, as they had the required numbers, adding that Shehbaz Sharif had ruined anyone or any institution that helped him.

Punjab Assembly number game

Pervez Elahi is now the most likely to replace Hamza Shahbaz Sharif as the new chief minister of the province after the changed situation in the province.

Almost all the turncoats who joined the PML-N and voted for Hamza Shahbaz Sharif lost to the PTI candidates in Sundays Punjab by-elections. PTI grabbed 15 of the total 20 seats in the Punjab by-polls, while PML-N won four seats and the remaining one seat went to an independent candidate.

Before the by-polls, the PTI and PML-Q had already jointly attained the strength of 173 (163 of PTI and 10 of PML-Q).

Now, with 15 additional seats, this strength has reached 188 whereas the figure of the simple majority stands at 186. This means the PTI and PML-Q have crossed that landmark.

One independent MPA will likely be part of the new ruling coalition.

On the other hand, the ruling coalition has 179 members with PML-N coming in as the second largest party in the Punjab Assembly with 164 members (four new), PPP with seven, three independents and one member of the Pakistan Rah-e-Haq party.

Two MPAs of PML-N, including Jaleel Sharaqpuri and Faisal Niazi, had resigned while Chaudhry Nisar is unlikely to vote for any of the candidates. Two seats are vacant in the House of 371 as a result of the resignation of PML-N MPAs. 

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Reaction to the PTI protest call by Fazlur Rehman

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3 days ago

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Maulana Fazlur Rehman, speaking on a private television station, said that the PTI is always coming to the streets, which really lessens the impact of a protest.

He also suggested to the PTI leadership that rather than carrying on with the agitation, it should finally put a hard hand down, which would be the final nail in the coffin.

He continued, citing the JUI protests as an example, saying, “We had a strong grip over our protesters and workers, so neither road was closed nor any property damage occurred during protests.”

The PTI has the right to protest, but Maulana Fazlur Rehman described the party’s agitation strategy as insufficient, stating that it is currently being “exposed which maynot be a good sign’.

Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, promised not to go back home unless the PTI founder was freed. During their demonstration, Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, encouraged the party officials to come up with strategies to avoid being arrested.

According to an alleged audio recording, she stated that November 24 will be a loyalty test for PTI members.

Additionally, the government of Islamabad has enforced section 144 for a period of two months, which prohibits processions, rallies, demonstrations, and meetings of five or more individuals in the city.

As per the notification, the prohibition forbade meetings in any public space inside the boundaries of Islamabad, including the Red Zone, which encompasses important government buildings, diplomatic missions, and other sensitive sites.

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PTI representatives conjecture in the media over Imran’s approval of bail: FIA investigator

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4 days ago

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The hearing on the PTI founder’s bail application in the Toshakhana-2 case has resumed at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), with Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb serving as the presider.

The hearing was attended by the defense attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, and FIA prosecutor Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi.

Judge Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb told the FIA prosecutor to “leave the media alone and exempt yourself from them” in order to avoid commenting on the media. The statement followed the prosecutor’s assertion that the bail would be granted, which had previously been reported by media sources.

In addition, the court questioned whether the receipts in question were issued in the name of Bushra Bibi or the PTI founder itself. Bushra Bibi’s name was on the receipts listed in the challan, according to Barrister Salman Safdar.

Defense arguments
The defense expressed displeasure about the case’s 3.5-year registration wait. The prosecution has swore in Sohaib Abbasi and made Inamullah Shah a crucial witness without requiring them to take an oath.

Barrister Salman Safdar highlighted that multiple agencies, including NAB, FIA, Police, and the Election Commission, have initiated actions related to the Toshakhana case, suggesting procedural redundancy.

Regarding a phony Toshakhana receipt, he contended, the Kohsar Police Station has also filed a case.

Position of the prosecution
The FIA prosecutor, Umair Majeed Malik, maintained that the valuation of the jewelry set mentioned in the case would be explained in the prosecution’s evidence.Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb remarked, “If the media does not spread sensationalism, how will they conduct their business?” He dismissed rumors about his health, stating that he was present and hearing the case despite such reports.

Status of Co-Accused
The court was informed that Bushra Bibi, a co-accused in the case, is currently on interim bail and awaiting a decision by Judge Afzal Majuka. Barrister Salman Safdar expressed hope that Judge Majuka would soon announce his verdict.

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Naqvi visits Fazl to express gratitude for contributions to the 26th amendment.

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5 days ago

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Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi convened with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman to deliberate on issues of shared concern and the current political landscape in the nation.

In today’s meeting in Islamabad, Mr. Naqvi asked about Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s health and sent his best wishes for the JUI chief’s well-being and future pursuits.

Naqvi extended his appreciation to Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his crucial contribution to the enactment of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which he characterised as a significant milestone in Pakistan’s legislative history.

Following the meeting, Naqvi commended Mr. Fazlur Rehman’s commitment to the nation, asserting, “Maulana Fazlur Rehman has consistently prioritised Pakistan’s interests, and his contributions to the country are indispensable.”

The experienced politician reaffirmed his dedication to Pakistan and its populace, stating, “Our priority has consistently been Pakistan and the well-being of its citizens.”

Senator Kamran Murtaza attended the meeting.

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