Two MPAs serve notice on Punjab Assembly deputy speaker

LAHORE: Two members of the Punjab Assembly have served a legal notice on Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari demanding his resignation for what they say holding rigged election for the office of the chief minister on April 16.

In a legal notice sent to Mr Mazari by MPAs Muhammad Rizwan and Shujahat Nawaz, both belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam (PML-Q), demanded his resignation for holding ‘rigged’ election.

The legal notice was sent through Muhammad Azhar Siddique, former prosecutor of National Accountability Bureau in cases against Maryam Nawaz and others.

It stated that on April 16, Mr Mazari “sabotaged” the Constitution of Pakistan during the Punjab Chief Minister’s election and violated the Punjab Assembly Privileges Act 1972 as well as Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab by “aiding and abetting the defections” of the members of the provincial assembly.

Demand resignation for holding ‘rigged’ election for CM

Also through his “active connivance” he allowed entry into the assembly chamber of more than 200 PML-N personnel/supporters, who wreaked havoc, violated the sanctity of the House and attacked the honorable members, it added.

The attackers called from outside through the deputy speaker inflicted severe torture on female MPA Asiya Amjad, who is on a ventilator in CMH Rawalpindi, the notice said, adding the assailants kept chanting slogans hurling threats of dire consequences.

The legal notice said that the deputy speaker had openly violated Articles 4, 5 and 63-A of the Constitution on the election day. In addition, Mr Mazari supported the PML-N candidate and illegally blocked the lobby for voters of the other candidate through police and goons and deprived them of the right to vote, which is clear violation of the orders of the Lahore High Court, the notice alleged.

With all these “unconstitutional” and “illegal” steps of the deputy speaker, the election of the chief minister has been rigged, therefore Mr Mazari should tender his resignation immediately otherwise a court of law will be moved against him, the notice says.

It may be mentioned that Mr Mazari, who was conducting the polls on April 16 for CM’s election on a direction by the LHC, had to call in police for his help when members from the treasury benches (both PTI and PML-Q) attacked him with ‘lotas’ and dragged him by hair.

In the ensuing episode, several lawmakers, including the ruling coalition’s candidate for CM’s slot Speaker Parvez Elahi, were injured as both sides blamed each other for involving outsiders in the attack on the legislators.

Hamza Shehbaz, the candidate of the opposition parties and splinter groups of the PTI, won the polls by bagging 197 votes as Mr Elahi’s supporters boycotted the election process.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2022