Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son Hamza Sharif is the new Chief Minister of the Punjab province of the country. In a show of strength, Hamza secured 197 votes while his rival Pervaiz Elahi did not get any vote as his party PML-Q and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) boycotted the vote.

Earlier it was Khan’s party in power in Punjab. But after losing the confidence vote and premiership, Khan’s rank and file supporters across the board, including Punjab have begun deserting him.

Earlier before the voting to prove the majority in the provincial assembly could begin, a fight broke out between the rivals inside the assembly.  The members of PTI threw ‘lota” at the deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari as he arrived in the house to preside over the session being held to elect the new chief minister. 

TV footage showed Mazari was slapped, punched and dragged by the PTI members before the security guards managed to rescue him. The PTI lawmakers brought "lotas" to the house and started chanting "lota, lota" (turncoats) as they lashed out at dissident PTI lawmakers who parted ways with the party and decided to support the opposition.

This new wave of intolerance is damaging the social fabric of Pakistan. This can clearly be seen in Punjab Assembly. This must be stopped.

Embarrassing…

#PunjabAssembly #Punjab #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/F1sCpq1Vbo

— Developing Pakistan (@developingpak) April 16, 2022

"I will fulfil my constitutional and legal duty..the attack against me was orchestrated, it was not abrupt," Geo TV quoted the deputy speaker Mazari as saying. .

Attack on deputy speaker Punjab is not only an attack on the Punjab assembly, it’s an attack on our courts who had ruled he conduct elections today, an attack on our democracy, an attack on our constitution, an attack on our federation and an attack on the people of South Punjab.

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) April 16, 2022

“Attack on deputy speaker Punjab is not only an attack on the Punjab assembly, it’s an attack on our courts who had ruled he conduct elections today, an attack on our democracy, an attack on our constitution, an attack on our federation and an attack on the people of South Punjab,” said Chairman of Peoples Party of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his post.

After losing the confidence vote, Imran Khan’s party had been thwarting every move to convene the National Assembly under the stewardship of PM Sharif.

It may be recalled, last week, the former premier Imran Khan had refused to resign despite losing his majority in the National Assembly and despite the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Khan kept resisting for a week and finally he had to leave the post in humiliation. His Party members boycotted the no-confidence vote fearing the defeat.

Hamza is the third member from his family to be elected as the chief minister of Punjab. Earlier his father PM Shehbaz Sharif and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had also held the post. 

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