Lahore (Web Desk): The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday submitted no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Punjab Dost Mohammad Mazari.
As per the details, the provincial leadership of the PTI submitted the no-trust motion after approval of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
PTI's coalition partner in the province Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) claimed that the deputy speaker was no longer eligible to summon the House after the motion had been submitted against him.
Deputy Speaker Mazari moved the Supreme Court (SC) to take notice of the ongoing constitutional crises in the province, and expressed concern over the lack of cooperation in the assembly secretariat after he had summoned the House.
Earlier today, the PA deputy speaker called the crucial provincial assembly session to vote for next chief minister.
An order by the deputy speaker stated that the "40th session of Punjab Assembly will now be held on Wednesday at 7:30pm for the election of chief minister of Punjab.”
On Wednesday, a notification issues by the PA Secretariat stated that the deputy speaker adjourned the session till April 16.
Without citing reasons for the postponement, Mazari adjourned the session for 10 days in the exercise of powers vested in him under Rule 25(b) of the Rules of the Procedures of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab 1997.
The session was originally scheduled for Wednesday (April 6) at 11:30am after it was adjourned on April 3 without voting to elect the new leader of the house amid ruckus by opposition and government lawmakers.
Punjab Assembly session occurred at the same time when a NA session was called to vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan while neither of the two votes took place amid the constitutional crisis.
Punjab Assembly Speaker and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, is Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) candidate for the vacant slot while Hamza Shehbaz is Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) candidate for the post.
The provincial assembly had to elect the new leader of the house, with PML-Q's PTI-backed Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and PML-N's Hamza Shehbaz, who had secured the support of the Jahangir Khan Tarin group, expected to go head to head in the race to become the next chief minister.
In the 371-member provincial assembly, the PTI has 183 lawmakers, PML-Q 10, PML-N 165, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) 7, Independent member 5, and one belongs Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party (PRHP).
PTI's dissident, including Jahangir Khan Tareen and Aleem Khan groups have announced to support the joint Opposition’s candidate, and PML-N's leader Hamza Shehbaz for Punjab’s chief minister slot.