Lahore, Pakistan: Hamza Shahbaz has been elected as Chief Minister Punjab, bagging 197 votes after a full day of fierce fighting inside the House (Assembly).
(1) I just came out after spending 9 hours in the Punjab provincial assembly bldg observing election of the new CM Punjab. Although the election could finally take place & efforts to disrupt the election were foiled, it was a day of shame for Pakistani democracy.
— احمد بلال محبوبAhmedBilalMehboob (@ABMPildat) April 16, 2022
Deputy Speaker under the direction of a two-member bench of Lahore High Court ensured the voting on Saturday although he was beaten and injured by PTI members of the Punjab Assembly. Police were called under the direction of the court for the counting process and PTI members were controlled by police after hectic fighting.
PTI is the worst thing that happened to Pakistan and it’s democracy. #PunjabAssembly pic.twitter.com/t8UxJxBicT
— Sania Ashiq (@SaniaaAshiq) April 16, 2022
Earlier the Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly was beaten, thrashed, and injured by PTI MPs when he came to sit on his seat to hold the session of the Punjab Assembly.
آج اسمبلی میں جو کچھ ہوا وہ میرے علم میں ہے کہ کس نے کروایا اور کون کون لوگ ملوث ہیں۔
میری HC اور قوم سے کمٹمنٹ ہے کہ اسمبلی کا اجلاس بھی آج ہی ہو گا اور وزیراعلیٰ کا الیکشن بھی آج ہی ہو گا۔میر صاحب گواہ رہیے گا، میں آئین سے وفاداری نبھا کر رہوں گا۔@HamidMirPAK @asmashirazi pic.twitter.com/V871J4X5yy
— (@Dost_M_Mazari) April 16, 2022
Lahore, Pakistan: Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari was beaten, thrashed, and injured by members of the assembly of PTI when he came to sit on his seat to hold the session of the Punjab Assembly.
What a shameful act by PTI and PMLQ,harassment of deputy speaker is disgraceful act. #وزیراعلی_حمزہ_شہبازشریف pic.twitter.com/GdAb3rCtM7
— Aamir Qayyum Bhatti (Gujrat) (@aamir724) April 16, 2022
A large number of political observers, journalists, and foreign media were present inside the Assembly.
How PTI members attacked @DostM_Mazari in #PunjabAssembly#وزیراعلی_حمزہ_شہبازشریف #PMLN pic.twitter.com/AEPbQGhenw
— Afzaal Abbasi (@imafzaal5) April 16, 2022
چودھری پرویزالہی نے پتہ نہیں رکھ رکھاو والا امیج کیسے بنالیا ماضی میں ؟ آج تو ذلالت ہی کمارہے ہیں ۔ پنجاب اسمبلی کے ڈپٹی اسپیکرپرپی ٹی آئی کا شرمناک حملہ، تشدد کیا گیا
— Jabbar Chaudhary (@ajtabassum) April 16, 2022
When asked, a number of senior journalists present in the Punjab Assembly said that they were unhappy about what happened in the House because they had never seen this situation before, and Speaker Ch Pervaiz Ellahi was also beaten. They were of the view that PTI members of the Assembly were behaving like goons and monsters. Senior journalists were of the view that a special Police force was the only option for holding voting under the direction of the Lahore High Court.
“PTI should understand that the State cannot be blackmailed and it makes its way to move on”, said one journalist.