Punjab governor seeks report on Punjab Assembly fiasco

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema on Sunday condemned the ruckus in the Punjab Assembly during the election of the chief minister and sought a report from the secretary on the violent session.

پنجاب اسمبلی میں وزیراعلی کے الیکشن کے موقع پر ہنگامہ آرائی اور تشدد کی سخت مذمت کی جاتی ہے

پارلیمان کا تقدس اور آئین کا تحفظ اسمبلی ممبران کی ذمہ داری ہوتی ہے

سیکرٹری پنجاب اسمبلی سے الیکشن کاروائی کی تفصیلی رپورٹ طلب کر لی گئی ہے

— Omar Sarfraz Cheema (@OmarCheemaPTI) April 16, 2022

The governor also directed the assembly secretariat to clarify four questions in this regard.

He asked if the deputy speaker conducted the assembly proceedings from the rostrum or from the gallery, if Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the speaker, was tortured in the assembly hall, and if police entered the assembly premises.

Cheema also directed the secretary of the assembly to provide footage of the session.

The governor reportedly asked the secretary to submit the response by noon.

Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz has also announced his plan to hold an inquiry into the fiasco in which the lawmakers attacked the deputy speaker and Elahi.

Shehbaz, while speaking on the floor after being elected as the new Punjab chief minister, said that police entered the Punjab Assembly today in violation of the parliamentary traditions.

He added that police would have arrived inside the assembly if the deputy speaker is tortured. Shehbaz said that he wanted to congratulate the police officials for their role.