LAHORE: The newly elected MPAs took the oath of their offices in the inaugural session of the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday. The ceremony was administered by outgoing Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal.
Chaudhry Nisar was not present at the ceremony.
Elections for the slots of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly will take place on August 16, after which the new chief minister will be elected through secret balloting.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has nominated Hamza Shehbaz for the slot of Punjab chief minister. Its rival, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has yet to name its candidate for the position.
PML-N has also nominated Chaudhry Iqbal Gujjar as Punjab Assembly’s speaker candidate.
“People don’t view politics based on [personal gains] favourably,” he sai, and vowed his party would offer a strong-footed opposition.
In the 371-member Punjab Assembly, the PTI is leading with 179 seats followed by the PML-N with 164 seats, the PML-Q with 10 seats and the PPP with seven seats. There are four independent candidates in the provincial legislature. At least 186 votes are required to win the chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker slots.
The speaker and deputy speaker will be elected on August 16, while the election for the CM will be held a day after on August 17.
On Monday, the inaugural session of the KP Assembly commenced with PML-N leader Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota presiding over the swearing-in ceremony. Nalota was appointed by the K-P governor after Asad Qaiser took the oath in the National Assembly.
After an uncalled delay, the first session of the 11th Balochistan Assembly commenced with 62 of 65 members taking the oath. Speaker Rahila Hameed Khan Durrani administered the oath to the newly-elected members.
Sindh Assembly MPAs also took oath on Monday. Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani administered the oath to 165 members on the occasion.