Lahore, Apr 6 (PTI) Constitutional crisis in Pakistan deepened on Wednesday when the country’s largest provincial assembly of Punjab was sealed by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government hours before the election of the new chief minister, barring the Opposition lawmakers to enter the premises to take part in the voting.
After the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, a close aide of embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Punjab Assembly had convened the assembly session to elect the new leader of the House last Sunday. But following dismissal of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan by the Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly on the basis of “international conspiracy” against the elected government, the Punjab Assembly’s Deputy Speaker had deferred the session for Wednesday to elect the new chief minister.
As the Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari called the session for Wednesday, the ruling PTI lawmakers moved a no-confidence motion against him. Following the submission of the motion, the Punjab Assembly was sealed by the government and a heavy contingent of police was deployed there.
Opposition PML-N lawmakers reached the assembly and held a sit-in there after they were not allowed to enter the premises. The PML-N said its lawmakers wanted to file a no-trust move against the Speaker.
The Assembly Secretariat issued a statement, saying the session would be held on April 16 as per the earlier notification of the Deputy Speaker.
“This is another example of blatant trampling of the Constitution. Imran Khan Niazi held a parallel court and ordered deferring of the Punjab Assembly session till April 16. The apex court should take notice of this,” Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz said, smelling a conspiracy behind delaying the session without any plausible reason.
Hamza said the government had lied to the apex court that it would hold the election on Wednesday and ensure the lawmakers exercised their right to franchise without any hurdle.
He warned Prime Minister Khan and the ruling coalition’s candidate for the chief minister’s post, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, against taking “unconstitutional steps”.
Reacting to the sealing of the provincial assembly, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari decried that the Deputy Speaker had been “locked out” of the assembly on the day of voting for the chief minister’s election.
The PPP chief said in a tweet: “If it takes 30 seconds to pull off a coup, it should take 30 seconds to undo a coup. Justice delayed is justice denied. After last week’s constitutional breakdown in Islamabad, today Punjab deputy speaker was locked out of [the] assembly on [the] day of voting for CM. Barbered [sic] wire around people’s house.” The coalition government reportedly has not had the required number that is why it is delaying the session. Over 20 lawmakers of the ruling party have defected to the Opposition thus making it almost impossible for the PTI coalition to win the chief minister election. PTI MZ PMS AKJ PMS PMS
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