LAHORE: PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz was elected as chief minister Punjab on Saturday in a ruckus marred session of the Punjab Assembly.
Ahead of the vote, three PTI members of the Punjab Assembly were arrested for attacking Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari as the party boycotted the session to elect the new chief minister.
Hamza Shahbaz has been elected as the new chief minister with 197 votes. While his rival Pervaiz Elahi only received one vote.
After much wait and delay due to a ruckus, the session finally started, with Mazari in the chair.
The session was scheduled to start at 11:30am. The delay came as government lawmakers — PTI and PML-Q — resorted to violence.
The lawmakers of the ruling party had thrown “lotas” at Mazari first, attacked him and pulled his hair despite the presence of security guards. The deputy speaker left the hall after this.
Before assaulting Mazari, the PTI lawmakers caused a ruckus when they brought “lotas” to the house and started chanting “lota, lota” (turncoats) as they lashed out at dissident PTI MPAs who parted ways with the party and decided to support the Opposition.
As the situation got intense and requests were made for the police to control the situation, the anti-riot force personnel entered the assembly wearing bulletproof jackets and made the arrests of the PTI MPAs.
The police entered the premises of the Punjab Assembly through the old building. A large number of the female police force are also present inside the assembly.
Although the police took control of the speaker’s dais after much struggle, the women MPAs have again surrounded it and are chanting slogans against the Opposition.
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